Forgotten
by Krayzee Aussie
Summary: She is a trained, battle hardened soldier, but she's got a history she would rather forget. He knows there is something different about her, but she won't let anyone close enough to find out what it is. Perhaps they have more in common than first thought... AU starts post CA:CW, currently entering A:IW
1. Chapter 1

**That awkward moment you load the first chapter of a story without checking everything because you haven't uploaded a new story since...like...2015? I think.**

 **Anyway, this is my attempt at something different. It's not great, but it's one of those things where i got this idea in my head and i needed to get it out.**

 **I do not own anything or one, marvel related, and this is set after Civil War, in a slightly AU, i guess. Imagine that Tony wasn't able to get the shot off in the bunker before Bucky was able to reach the top and escaped. That's the scenario I'm playing with here.**

 **So if you like it, let me know, if you don't, move along, get on with life, don't dwell on it or be an asshat about it.**

 **Cheers!**

 **Edit 24/07/17 - Chapter has been updated to fit in with the prequel that has since been written!**

 **xo**

 **PS - oOOo signifies POV changed**

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

Vielka stood in the back of the chopper, looking out of the open doors as it began to descend towards the ground, finding the only open space among the trees. She scowled as she noticed it was raining outside. Rogers had better be grateful when she got back, it was his personal request to her that had her out here. She could never turn down Captain America, it was probably the whole 'man out of time' thing that pulled at her heart strings, possibly even the target's backstory.

She smirked a little, the boys at her old unit used to say she had no heart, turns out she was just heartless towards them. She bit her lip, as an old memory briefly passed through her mind, but she quickly pushed it from her thoughts as she picked up her rifle and jumped out from the back of the chopper.

She was within the Hola Forest, west of the city of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. There was chatter that her target was hiding out here, having ducked out of Bucharest not long after being sighted. She thought it weird he would come back here, to Romania. Sure, his mother originated from here, but he personally had no links to the country and after his last visit here, it didn't make sense.

She trudged through the thick undergrowth, watching carefully where she walked for any signs of human traffic. She took notice of the pile of bear scat as she trudged on, noting it appeared quite fresh. It didn't take long before she found a boot print in the undergrowth, she knelt down, keeping her weapon up, and inspected the print. Whoever belonged to it was heavy set, and seemed heavier on their left side. She scanned the ground carefully, looking to see which direction the tracks led.

Once she was sure which way they went, she carefully continued on, clutching at her weapon as the sky began to darken. It would be night soon, and she would need to be extra careful now as the creatures of the night would soon be coming out. She wondered if she might run into that bear.

She had been tracking for about two hours now, but it was soon too dark for even her to continue, her enhanced eyesight beginning to struggle as the moon moved higher into the cloudless sky. She was about to look for a tree to climb when there was a rustling of leaves behind her. She whirled around, rifle raised and saw two eyes shining in the dull light a short distance away.

"Ah crap," she murmured, before beginning to walk back carefully. She really didn't want to discharge her weapon in case her target heard it and fled. "Nice teddy," she murmured, taking another step back.

It growled at her, before charging. "Shit!" She turned and ran, slinging her rifle to her back to enable free hands when she found something to climb. Her eyes darted from tree to tree, looking for a good strong one, but there were no climbable ones within view. She got sick of running and decided to try her luck with the nearest tree, she changed direction quickly and launched herself into the air, just reaching a branch. She clutched at it with her hands, relief when she felt the bark in her hands. She looked down below as the bear ran to the tree, standing on its hind legs and swiping wildly up at her.

"Well, this is just awesome," she said with a grimace, moving to hoist herself up onto the branch. She regretted it almost immediately, as she felt it begin to give way under her weight. "Damn it."

She looked below and measured up the fall and how she could avoid most of the teeth and claws below.

She swung from the branch before it could break, landing just behind the bear, although heavily on one ankle, before rolling forward. The bear spun and swung out a large clawed paw at her, it caught her on the arm as she tried to dodge it, her left ankle buckling slightly as she tried to move, slowing her down. It slashed open her uniform. She let out a hiss of pain that shot through her arm, but mostly ignored it. She went to grab her rifle but found it was no longer slung to her shoulder, the bear had managed to catch the sling, cutting it loose. She grimaced in annoyance.

She pulled the knife she carried in her boot, she really didn't want to hurt the bear, it was only doing what bears did naturally, but it was either him or her. She carefully stood, looking up to the bear cautiously. It stood on its hind legs, roaring angrily at her and showing his teeth. She too stood, knife poised and at the ready. "Sorry big guy," she murmured, before making the dash forward. The bear swiped at her again, but she rolled and dodged it, looking to sink her knife into its side as she stood and lunged forward again.

She was about to plunge her knife in, when she was tackled roughly from the side, sending her sprawling into the undergrowth. She turned to fight off her second attacker as she attempted to right herself, pain shooting through her left ankle as she tried to use it to stop her fall, but felt her attacker force her back to the ground roughly, her face pushed into the undergrowth.

"Don't move," a deep, surly voice hissed in her ear, pinning her hand with the knife to the ground as well. She began to struggle back against it until she heard the bear again, it was close. Her would-be attacker lowered himself down on top of her, covering her body with his. She could tell he was heavy set as his body was much bigger than hers, but he held most of his weight off her. She glanced up through the brush to see the bear standing up sniffing the air, it seemed to smell them, but for some reason seemed hesitant about engaging.

The male voice spoke again, but this time it seemed directed to the bear. "Go on, off you go, you don't want to tangle with me again," he said calmly.

To her astonishment, the bear dropped back to its all fours, before it began trudging away. She watched it walk away, completely in awe of what had just happened, until she felt the weight from her back disappear. She looked around in surprise and felt her knife pulled from her hand roughly.

"Hey!" she exclaimed as she stood up. She was about to ask what his problem was when she noticed his arm. She saw the moonlight bounce of the silvery colour as he turned to face her, his stormy blue eyes narrowed at her. She sized him up, he was much bigger than her, wearing jeans and casual shirt under a dark hoodie, a baseball cap pulling his long hair from his face. A face she recognised instantly.

"Sgt Barnes... I'm here to bring you in," she said, eyeing the knife in his hand. She berated herself mentally for losing both her rifle and knife, so unlike her. He looked at the knife, holding it up to the light. The movement put her on edge.

"Who sent you?" He asked, looking back at her, seeming to be sizing her up.

"Captain Rogers," she replied honestly. Sgt Barnes looked surprised, before he narrowed his eyes at her. "No, I'm not working for the Wakandan King this time, I'm on loan."

"Get out of here, before you get yourself killed," he said, before turning to walk away.

She took a step toward him, making him turn around again, now holding the knife up in her direction.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Sgt. I have orders."

"Are they worth your life?"

"With all due respect, Sgt, would that be worth your guilt?" She seemed to hit a nerve there, he flared his nostrils and narrowed his eye at her, but she noted that the knife lowered slightly. "Sgt, I'm taking you in, either willingly, or by force."

"Just try," he said, before running at her. She was ready though, she leapt back as he lunged for her, pulling one of the twin swords she kept concealed at her back, blocking the knife. He was strong, as he pushed against her sword, but she didn't let that intimidate her, she had fought bigger and far uglier.

She shoved back at him, causing him to step back and glare at her. She narrowed her eyes at him, before pulling her second sword from her back slowly. She saw Sgt Barnes' eyes widen as he took in the two swords now in her hands. "Sgt, are you sure you wouldn't rather co-operate? I would rather not have to re-sharpen my Wakizashis."

Barnes narrowed his eyes at her, before dropping his eyes and the knife to the ground, and placing his hands to the back of his head.

She raised her eyebrows at this, feeling slightly disappointed, but also slightly relieved, she really didn't want to sharpen her swords again. She replaced her swords in their sheaths at her back before walking towards the knife at the ground in front of Sgt Barnes' feet. "Thank you-" she began, as she bent down to pick it up, only to have Barnes strike out at her.

She managed to block the kick that he had aimed at her chest, before blocking his following punch with his titanium arm, although she was forced back slightly from the power behind it. She gritted her teeth, feeling pain shooting through her forearms that had taken the full force of the titanium arm.

"Just walk away," he said, standing ready with his fists up.

"Sorry, Sgt, I can't do that."

She lunged first now, leading with her left before jabbing with her right, he blocked her punches easily but she quickly brought he knee up and it connected with his chest. He was forced back a step and she quickly followed through with a round house. He caught her leg and moved to throw her but she was quick to grab one of his arms and bend her leading leg, swinging her body weight around so that she could off balance him.

It worked and he began to tip forward. She used her core strength and curled herself into a ball to brace for impact as Barnes fell over. She maintained her position, grabbing his titanium arm and trying to pin it, she knew it wasn't going to be easy.

He tried to grab at her legs, working as best as he could to loosen her grip on him, but she grit her teeth and refused to let him out power her.

"Let go of me! I don't want to hurt you!" he growled, as he began trying to manoeuvre his titanium arm.

"Urgh, who said chivalry is dead," she murmured through gritted teeth. Unfortunately, his titanium arm was too strong for her and he managed to break free from her arms and legs, moving to be kneeling before her, before trying to move to grab her in a stress position.

He almost had her in a vulnerable position, his arms woven around her neck and one of her arms, his face awfully close to hers so she could feel his hot breath on her cheek, when she decided it was time to stop messing around. She gave a flick of her loose wrist, popping out a small syringe from the device she wore, before stabbing him in the leg with it.

He froze when he realised what she had done, releasing her and stumbling back. She gasped for breath and rolled her shoulders, trying to get the blood moving again, before looking back just as he fell to the ground. "Sorry, mate."

She stood in the dark there for a moment, just looking at the Winter Soldier, lying amongst the leaves and undergrowth of the forest. Then she groaned. "Crap, now I have to drag your ass back to the LZ!" She kicked at a tuft of grass in annoyance before huffing and getting back to work.

 **oOOo**

Bucky looked around groggily, his eyes adjusting to the red lights around him. Once adjusted, he noted he was inside an aircraft of some sort. From the sound of the rotors, it was a chopper.

He looked to his right and saw a svelte but fit body leaning into the cockpit, dressed in a fitted, black outfit. He noted she didn't have red hair, but was immediately on edge. He recognised her, if only by her body. She had been the woman who followed the Wakandan King everywhere, like his bodyguard. He tried to move his arms and found himself impeded. Looking down he found he was restrained with a device he had never seen before. His arms were crossed in front of his chest with a large steel contraption tight around his wrists and shoulders. He started to try and pull himself free but to no avail.

"I wouldn't bother," the woman said, walking towards him with a slight limp, he noted. "We tested it. You're not going anywhere."

"This is a bad idea," Bucky warned, eyeing the woman. She was a lot taller than Romanoff, whom he originally thought was tracking him, although her body was built much the same. He had never actually seen her face before, she was always wearing a mask previously and he found her facial features appeared slightly Asian, with jet black hair that was pulled back into a high ponytail.

"I'm sure it is," she said, before easing herself into the seat beside him. "But when Captain America asks a favour, you don't generally decline."

Bucky furrowed his brow at the woman. She seemed very laid back, he also noted the accent she had, he didn't easily recognise it.

He glanced back at his restraints, wiggling his fingers of his right arm a little, to keep the blood flow moving, before looking back at her. Her arms were now folded across her chest and her eyes closed.

He began to recall the last time he had seen her. She had saved him from Tony Stark's rage, injuring herself in the process, but had urged him to flee while he had the chance. He remembered his confusion at the act of selflessness, after having pursued him alongside the Wakandan King, T'Challa for so long.

He looked her over, before his eyes settled on her arm, her body suit was slashed and her arm bleeding. "You should do something about that arm," he said. "Romanian bears are known for carrying bacteria that can make you quite ill."

She opened her eyes, looking at him and it was the first time he noticed the colour of her eyes and it shocked him, even in the red light of the cargo area. They were a mesmerising golden-brown colour. She glanced at her arm before frowning and shrugging. "She'll be right."

She gave him a small smile before closing her eyes and relaxing again. He furrowed his brow at her nonchalant attitude but had little time to think of it when a voice boomed over the intercom.

"Five minutes out, Paddy."

The woman opened her eyes and touched her ear, before replying. "Roger that. Called us in?"

"He's waiting for you."

"Lovely. I'll need a beer waiting on the Tarmac." There was laughter over the intercom before the buzz of the intercom was silent.

"Paddy, was it?" He asked, looking her up and down again, not sure the name suited her. She pursed her lips, not looking at him.

"Shouldn't eavesdrop, Sgt, its rude," she said, standing up and beginning to move around the chopper, collecting a bag, a rifle and then walking towards him. "Come on, big fella," she said, putting her arm under his and hoisting him to his feet. He was surprised at her strength, she was definitely stronger than she appeared.

 **oOOo**

Steve watched as the Corporal led Bucky off the back of the chopper. He noted she seemed to be sporting a limp, but other than that, was surprisingly well. He supposed Natasha's suggestion of sending her to retrieve Bucky wasn't such a bad idea. She stopped a few feet away from him, looking expectant. He noted the mischief in her eyes.

"Captain," she greeted him, smirk appearing on her features, making her look more asian.

"Corporal, I see you managed just fine on your own."

"Piece of cake, he only gave me a little trouble." Bucky furrowed his brow and looked at the Corporal. That was when Steve noticed the open wound on her arm, looking at it in concern. She noticed him looking at it. "That was not him. That was a bear."

Steve raised his eyebrows and did his best to hold back a small laugh. The irony of her being able to come out basically injury free against the Winter Soldier but not a bear was not lost on him. "A bear?"

"Shut up," she said, rolling her eyes before tossing the keys to the restraining device to him. "He's all yours." She turned her head slightly to look at Bucky, who was still looking at her curiously. "It's been fun." With that she strode away back to the compound.

Steve watched her for a moment, before looking to Bucky, who was also watching her walk away, eyes narrowed. "She's a nice girl, really."

Bucky didn't respond, as Steve grabbed him by the arm and led him to the compound as well.

 **oOOo**

Bucky was led into the compound and taken into an elevator. He counted the floors as it sunk into the depths of the facility. He counted it to be about ten floors down, but he couldn't be certain. Steve led him out and into a well lit corridor. The walls were made of concrete, thick concrete by the looks of it too.

"You'll be safe here," Steve said, clearly misinterpreting Bucky's analysing eyes. "We're going to get some tests done and see what's going on upstairs."

"This is a bad idea," Bucky replied, as they stopped at a door. "It was safer when I was away from anyone."

"That's no way to live, Bucky, you can't keep running." Bucky frowned, that's what Steve thought, but Bucky was pretty certain it was the safest way. "Besides, if Paddy can find you, what's to say anyone else can't?"

He furrowed his brow at the mention of the woman. He was right, but Bucky suspected she wasn't just anyone either. There was something curious about the 'corporal' that everyone seemed to affectionately call 'Paddy'.

Steve opened the door and ushered him in. A young looking man wearing a white coat looked up expectantly and smiled, before motioning towards a machine. The door opened again as Steve was helping Bucky onto the table, it was Natasha Romanoff. She looked warily at him, crossing her arms and leaning against the door.

"Captain, we need to take the restraints off," the man, a doctor it seemed, said, looking expectantly at Steve. Steve bit his lip and looked to Romanoff.

"I'll call Vielka." Bucky didn't recognise the name, but it was obvious whoever it was made Steve nervous. He shook his head.

"Nah, it's fine," he looked down at Bucky. "You aren't going to try anything, right? We're trying to help you." He looked imploringly at him.

Bucky sighed, even if he barely remembered everything he and Steve had been through, he remembered that look. He gave the slightest of nods.

Steve undid the restraints and they released him, sliding back into a neat little box instantly. The doctor set back to work instantly, pushing some buttons on the machine before ushering everyone else behind a small barrier in the room.

Bucky lay still as the machine hummed around him. It made him nervous and vaguely reminded him of his time with Hydra. It made him shudder. "Lay still, please," the doctor called from behind the barrier.

After a few minutes, they all filed back out from behind the barrier, Steve leading, as the table he lay on rolled itself back out. Steve offered him a hand and helped him to sit up.

"I'll analyse the results as soon as possible," the doctor said, motioning to the door. Romanoff opened it, holding it as Steve motioned to Bucky to follow him.

"Where are we?" Bucky asked as they walked down the hallway.

"Can't tell you that right now, sorry," Steve said, apologetically. Bucky looked behind him to wear Romanoff was following, she met his gaze and narrowed her eyes slightly. He turned back around to look ahead as Steve led him to what appeared to be a large open plan facility. He spotted some familiar faces there.

The first to greet him was Sam, offering his hand. Bucky took it, remembering well when they had fought side by side in Germany. He was soon followed by Wanda.

"This is all of you?" he asked, remembering there had been others that he had fought beside.

They looked sideways at each other. "The others have families, so they're hiding elsewhere to be closer to them. There's not many of us, but we do what we can."

"To do what?" Bucky asked, looking at Romanoff as she walked past him towards the kitchen that was towards the back of the room.

"Fight, help, whatever is needed of us."

He nodded. He had seen the news. The Avengers were done, thanks to the egomaniac Tony. He recalled Tony trying to kill him at the bunker, he had been lucky to escape, and it was thanks to the woman that had just captured him, before the missile silo collapsed after Tony tried to shoot him as he made his escape.

Bucky looked around, noting how high tech the facility was. "Someone is obviously supporting you."

"That would be me," came a heavily accented voice. He turned around to see T'Challa standing in the doorway, one hand in his pocket. He walked inside, standing barely a foot away from Bucky. He recalled their last meeting, it was not a pleasant one.

To his surprise, T'Challa offered Bucky a hand. Bucky raised his eyebrows, but accepted it. "Upon our last meeting, i was mislead to believe you were the cause for my grief," he began, his face showing no emotion. "Upon following Tony, I discovered you were not, and I must apologise."

Bucky looked at T'Challa in mild disbelief, while he knew he was not responsible for the bombing at the Sokovian Accords conference, he never thought anyone but Steve and Sam would believe him. He gave a nod, to the Wakandan King, who released his hand before turning to Steve.

"Might I talk with you a moment?"

Steve nodded and left, looking back at Bucky once before he did so.

"Make yourself at home, man," Sam said, returning to the lounge.

Bucky stood there for a moment, unsure what exactly that would entail, but he carefully moved to the lounge and sat down as well, looking with interest to the tv. Sam was watching about five different tvs, each with a different news channel on. "What are you looking for?" he asked with interest after about five minutes.

"Anything that we should be aware of, you know, serious things."

"He means super human things," Wanda piped up from the kitchen, she was moving around the kitchen quickly, red mist following her as she did so, carrying several items. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

"Good, dinner won't be long."

"I hope you like foreign food," Sam muttered under his breath. "She doesn't cook anything else."

"I heard that, Sam." Sam chuckled as she hurled an empty plastic bottle at him, missing him by a good few centimetres. Bucky raised his eyebrows between the two of them, before looking back to the tv.

 **oOOo**

Vielka hmphed one more time as the doctor stitched up her arm.

"Seriously, you can make any other noise if you're in pain, you know?" he said, in amusement.

"Nah, it's all good." she pulled her hoodie sleeve back down and stood up. "Thanks doc."

She turned to leave. "Get back here, you need a tetanus shot."

"Pfft, no, i don't," she murmured, before dashing out the door, slamming into Steve.

He grabbed her about the shoulders as she righted herself. "Go get your tetanus shot."

"How the..."

"Doc told me," he replied, with a knowing grin. She narrowed her eyes and hmphed again before turning around and walking back in. The doc gave her a quick jab and sent her on her way. She glared daggers at Steve before exiting the clinic room quickly. She was starving as she made her way to the kitchen.

She could smell the strong sent of European cooking as she approached the common area, knowing straight away Wanda had been cooking again. She wasn't complaining tonight though, any food was good for her, after traipsing through the forest for most of the day and night. Especially after dragging Sgt Barnes dead weight through the forest.

She was just contemplating their first meeting in the forest as she rounded the corner to enter the common area, when she crashed into a hard chest, almost falling backwards in surprise, except for the strong arms that caught hers and righted her. "Sorry..." a familiar voice murmured as she looked up in surprise.

"What the hell are you doing out of restraints?" she asked, stepping back in surprise, automatically moving into a ready stance.

"He's no prisoner here, Vielka," came Wanda's voice from the kitchen. Vielka looked from Wanda to Sgt Barnes. "Well, no more than us, really."

She scratched the side of her head, it was something she tended to do when she was nervous or frustrated. Sgt Barnes was looking at her with his eyebrows raised and hands slightly raised in front of him, hands facing out, the universal sign of surrender. She growled slightly to herself, but brushed past him and into the kitchen. She sat at the buffet bench, taking the bowl that Wanda handed her, but not taking her eyes off Sgt Barnes for too long.

"Relax," Wanda whispered, leaning on the bench across from her. "I have fought side by side with him, he is a good man."

"You been inside his head, yet?" Vielka asked, still not taking her eyes off of him as he moved to sit on the lounge beside Sam.

"Well, no..." she answered honestly, nervously looking at Sgt Barnes herself. "And to be honest, from what i've heard, I do not want to."

Vielka wrinkled her nose a little in thought as she brought the hot food to her lips. She had heard the same thing. She turned away finally, trying to ignore the fact that she could feel his eyes on her.

 **oOOo**

Steve soon returned and saw Vielka at the buffet bench, playing with a mobile device. Bucky was on the lounge, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and watching the tv with Sam, although he noticed him throwing furtive glances in Vielka's direction every now and then.

"Hey, how's that arm?" he asked, pulling up a seat next to her.

"It was only a bear," she murmured in an offhand manner, not looking up.

He glanced at the screen of her mobile device. It was fuzzy video of his first encounter with the Winter Soldier. "What are you doing?" he hissed, moving to grab the device from her hands.

She blocked his hand and looked at him pointedly. "Researching, to make sure I'm ready in case shit goes down," she retorted, looking at him warningly. "You never told me he was going to be allowed unrestrained access around here, or I would never have agreed to bring him in."

He glanced sideways, he could see Bucky was still glancing at them now and then. He looked back at Vielka who was looking back at her device. "He was under their mind control then, he's free now."

"Does T'Challa approve of this? And what's to say they couldn't just reactivate him? Do we even know how they do it?" She looked up from the device and demanded, before her eyes went wide and she leaned back slightly. Steve looked to his right to see Bucky standing there.

"They have a set of words," he began, not taking his eyes off of Vielka. "They need to be spoken in Russian, in the right order, usually they would scramble my memories first, wiping anything that had happened recently."

Steve glanced sideways at Vielka, who didn't remove her eyes from Bucky, he noted her eyes seemed slightly apologetic.

She took a deep breath, before releasing it. "Sorry, old habits die hard," she replied, turning away before standing and walking away. The room was silent as Sam and Wanda had turned to watch the conversation.

Steve turned and watched her leave, aware of a twinge of sadness in her eyes as she had turned away from them. He looked back apologetically to Bucky, standing and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's get you to your room, you're probably tired."

He led Bucky from the room, down the hall. When he realised which room Natasha had chosen for Bucky he wasn't sure if it was such a good idea. He knew she probably chose it for a reason of her own, but he wasn't sure right now it was a good idea.

Just as he thought to change the room, Natasha exited the room, looking up at them both and giving a small smile. "Just in time, it's all ready. Hope it's comfortable," she said motioning towards the now open door.

Steve stepped back to let Bucky past, he stopped in the doorway and had a quick look around the room then nodded. "Thanks."

Steve heard a door open next door and grit his teeth as they all turned to look. Vielka exited her room, wearing her training gear, swords in hand. She noticed them looking at her and nodded, before turning and striding down the hallway.

"What was all that about?" Natasha asked, clearly noticing the tension in the air as Steve released a breath he hadn't noticed he had been holding.

Neither of them answered her.

 **oOOo**

Vielka worked her body to the brink of exhaustion, she probably should have just gone to bed after leaving Steve and Sgt Barnes in the common area, but she couldn't sleep.

She utilised the virtual sparring program T'Challa had created just for her, flipping, parrying and blocking the robot in front of her. But her mind wasn't exactly clear as she lunged towards it, angrily bringing her sword down to strike it.

It moved sideways and kicked out at her, knocking her backwards a good few metres. She sprawled on the ground heavily, feeling the wind knocked from her lungs, but struggled back onto her feet as the robot sprinted towards her with its sword arms raised to attack. She threw her sword, it struck its target and the robot slid to a stop in front of her, crumbling to the ground.

"I really wish you would take care when using the virtual training grounds," came T'Challa's voice over the intercom. She glanced behind her and saw the door to the room open, T'Challa walking in wearing his Black Panther suit, helmet in his hand.

She stood and retrieved her sword from the mess of robot. "I'm pretty certain you enjoy putting these things together about as much as I enjoy destroying them," she replied, giving a small smile.

He grinned at her knowing retort. "Perhaps." He looked at her more seriously then. "What is on your mind, Corporal Patterson?" He asked. He refused to use her nickname or code name about the facility, instead opting for her former rank and last name. It annoyed her, but he was royalty, their host and she had been chosen to be his protector.

"Nothing much," she replied, putting her twin swords back into their sheaths. She glanced back at him, as he stood before her, seeming to analyse her as he always did. She sighed. "The Sgt puts me on edge."

"I see, why would that be?"

"His mind can easily be controlled, whether he wants to or not, he could easily turn against us, and this has been proven."

T'Challa raised an eyebrow, as she turned away. "You speak as if you know from experience," he said as she began to leave. She froze, wondering if T'Challa was testing her like he always did or if he was privy to information about her that she had fought for years to forget. She opted for the first option.

She turned her head back slightly, before continuing to exit the room.

As she returned to her room, she thought she heard shouting and struggling from Sgt Barnes' room. She silently moved to the door, putting her ear closer to hear. Silence. She shrugged her shoulders and returned to her room, showering and changing quickly.

She was just about to climb into bed when she heard an unmistakable shout from Sgt Barnes' room.

* * *

 **Bear with me, usually when I write, I've got a pre-thought out plan/plot, but I'm working on the fly here.**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I've finally got some kind of plot in mind, so i'm hoping that should make this story come about a little easier for me now.**

 **It is, however, school holidays here, so that means getting the opportunity to write is few and far between.**

 **I hope this new chapter might peak a few more people's interest.**

 **Edit - Updated 27/07/17**

 **xo**

* * *

Familiar faces flashed by, his victims, his captors, his torturers. He remembered the pain, he remembered the scenery around him. He saw Steve's face as he fell from the train, arm outstretched to try and help him, to no avail, as he plunged into the darkness.

He felt himself shaking, when he woke while they operated on his arm, looking down in horror. He tried to fight back as he felt arms grab him, recalling the cold that he felt from the uncaring hands.

It was strange though, the hands that grabbed at him now were warm, unlike the memory he recalled so many times before.

He opened his eyes and gasped, looking around as he pulled his titanium arm back when he realised what he was doing.

Apparently, Paddy, as she had been called, wasn't quite ready for it and fell forward, landing on top of him, her head connecting with a thunk to his titanium shoulder.

"Jesus Christ, mate!" she cried putting her hands on either side of him to try and push herself up, wincing a few times as she did so. He quickly helped her, pushing her up easily by her shoulders. He could already see blood beginning to drizzle down from a small cut on her forehead.

"Are you alright?" he asked, moving her into a sitting position beside him, before trying to look at her face. It wasn't serious but was going to need attention.

"That's what I get for checking to see what all the hullabaloo is," she retorted huffily, moving to stand up. He had absolutely no idea what she had just said, but from the look on her face, she was annoyed.

He put a hand on her shoulder to stop her and got up himself, walking to his bathroom and picking up an unused hand towel quickly before turning back to her. He pushed it onto her forehead gently. "Sorry."

She sighed and waved the apology away. "Don't worry about it, could have happened to anyone"

He raised an eyebrow at her comment as she put her hand to the towel, taking over from him, he highly doubted that could have just happened to anyone. "Is your neck alright?" He bent his head down to look at her neck where he had grabbed hold of her unknowingly.

He could see the slightest red marks in the shape of his titanium fingers around her delicate neck, but something else caught his eye.

Above the neck of the hoodie she wore, he could just make out a large scar, it was long and seemed to extend all the way around her neck. Even at a quick glance. he could tell it was a clean scar, no jagged edges.

His eyebrows knotted together in concern when he saw it, but she quickly stood and began walking to the door. "If you're okay now, I'll be going to bed. I spent my whole day traipsing through the forest looking for you." He looked at her apologetically after her for a moment before she glanced back at him for a moment, looking slightly thoughtful. "Thanks, by the way," he raised his eyebrows in confusion. "For, you know, the bear, I guess. Really didn't want to kill it."

He gave a small nod. She frowned before disappearing back out his door, closing it behind her.

 **oOOo**

Vielka did not sleep well that night, and was grumpy when she got up early the next morning. Deciding to forego breakfast she went instead to the gym. Perhaps a weight session would improve her mood.

After about an hour of working with the weights she decided to call it a day, heading back to her room to shower and change. She slowed when she approached her door, as Sgt Barnes' door opened. She grimaced slightly but turned to unlock her door, trying to ignore him.

"Hey," he said softly, stopping beside her as she fiddled with her keys. She glanced up to meet his stormy blue eyes, she could see the intrigue in them already, and she scolded herself for not being more careful. "Thanks for checking in on me last night, sorry about..." he motioned with his titanium arm and she flinched slightly, remembering the cold metal against her neck the night before. His eyes widened before looking apologetic again.

"Don't worry about it, no harm done." She finally opened her door. "I'll see you around." She hurried inside, closing the door behind her and leaning against it, releasing a breath. She reached up for her neck, it wasn't tender or bruised, but the cold metal fingers had left a different kind of impression on her.

She shook her head of the memory and moved to have a shower.

 **oOOo**

Bucky stood looking at her door for a moment, before he continued onto the common area. Steve was there talking to T'Challa, they both looked at him as he entered, worried looks on their faces.

"What is it?" he asked.

"The results came back from the exam," Steve answered, grimacing. Bucky didn't need to ask what they were, he had known it would be inconclusive.

"We will continue to work, we will figure it out." T'Challa nodded to Steve before turning and leaving.

"Breakfast?"

Bucky nodded and Steve set to work in the kitchen while Bucky leant against the bench. He couldn't get his mind off the scar on Paddy's neck.

"Hey, what's Paddy's deal?" He asked finally.

Steve nearly dropped the pan he was holding, juggling it slightly. He put it back down on the stove top. "What do you mean? Paddy?"

Bucky raised his eyebrows, surprised by Steve's reaction, it was unexpected to say the least. "Yeah, what's her story?"

Steve turned to face Bucky with his arms folded across his chest, trying to appear nonchalant. "Story? She's got no story."

Even without a lot of his memories, Bucky could still tell when Steve was lying, and right now was probably the worst acting he had ever seen.

"Really?"

"Now Bucky," came Wanda's voice, as she seemed to float into the room like she always did. It was just the way she walked, she seemed to float everywhere. "Vielka's story is her own to tell, nobody else's," she said looking pointedly at Steve, who pursed his lips together looking slightly guilty. "Just like your own. It is no one else's story to tell." Bucky furrowed his brows at the woman. "Besides, none of us know anyway. Well, maybe T'Challa, but she has proven her worth and loyalty more than enough and I trust her with my life, plus she never complains about my cooking." So that was her real name, Vielka. Even the name seemed to have a fierceness to it.

Wanda smiled after offering her wisdom, before stealing some of the bacon Steve had cooked and moving to the lounge area to watch tv.

Bucky looked back at Steve, raising his eyebrows again. Steve shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant and returned to cooking. Bucky narrowed his eyes at Steve's back. Something about the Australian put Steve on edge, and Bucky wanted to know what it was.

 **oOOo**

A few weeks had past, and still Vielka did her best to avoid Bucky wherever possible. It didn't go unnoticed.

Quite often, T'Challa would find his favourite lady warrior practicing in the virtual sparring room. And these days she seemed far more accepting to spar with him. For months after her arrival to the facility she refused to train with him, even after being assigned to accompany the Black Panther, yet now she happily accepted.

On this particular day, she seemed exceptionally fierce, her swords slicing through the air with such ferocity he thought she may actually penetrate his vibranium suit, again.

She was distracted, it seemed, as he spotted an opening and took it, lunging forward beneath her strike and collecting her about the mid section, before his claws poised over her face which she strained to avoid contact.

"You fight with a great deal of anger, but that clouds your mind, creating openings to your enemies."

She huffed in annoyance as he released her. She ran a finger along her cheek bone where one of his metal claws had only just caught her olive skin, wiping away a sliver of blood.

"We all have bad days," she replied, sheathing her swords.

"Perhaps, but you seem to be having a lot of them lately," T'Challa said, removing his helmet to look at the tall and stoic woman. She scowled and turned to walk away, but not before an alarm sounded in the depths of the facility.

Rogers face flashed on the screen above the training area. "Guys, we've got trouble."

"Who is it?"

"Hard to say, looks like it might be some of the remnants of Hydra."

T'Challa glanced at Vielka, he saw the glint of pleasure in her eyes that he always saw when they were called to battle. She glanced back to him, nodding. With that she ran from the training room, her sleek, black ponytail trailing behind her like a black ribbon.

 **oOOo**

Bucky ran through the corridors beside Steve. T'Challa had looked into the original designs of his old Winter Soldier uniform, but had made some improvements to it. He was now less restricted by his clothing and felt far lighter as he sprinted easily to keep up with Steve.

As they rounded the corner, he saw Vielka appear out of a doorway ahead of them. She was dressed in her black jumpsuit again, slipping her two swords into small slots at the back of it with a resounding 'click' as she ran.

Steve and Bucky sped up to catch up to her, which Bucky found curious, as they were enhanced and she seemed just as fast, if not faster. He recalled the fight at Leipzig, where she had managed to keep with them, at one stage even seeming to catch up to them.

"Corporal," Steve said, as they drew closer to her. She turned her head slightly, glancing at them both. "Captain." Her eyes hardened when she saw Bucky, but she continued running without another word.

She ran to the end of the corridor and burst through the door at the end, skidding to a stop as they were outside.

Bucky shielded his eyes for a moment, it was the first time he had been outside since she dragged him out of the forest. When his eyes adjusted he saw Steve and Vielka running towards an aircraft that was already beginning to power up. He quickly followed.

As he jumped into the cargo bay, he looked around to see Vielka walking to the cockpit, where he could make out T'Challa's voice.

"Where are we going?" Bucky asked, watching as the back of the aircraft closed.

"South East Asia," Romanoff said, appearing from the cockpit as she and Vielka swapped places. Steve looked from her to Vielka with a questioning gaze, but Romanoff gave the slightest of shakes of her auburn head. "Crossbones has been stealing biological weapons, again."

Bucky saw Wanda balk at the mention of the name.

"I thought he blew up?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Guess not," Steve replied, looking at Wanda apologetically.

"What's the plan?" Bucky asked, looking around.

"We won't know more until we are on the ground. The problem with not being the Avengers, is that we aren't privy to a lot of information anymore," Romanoff replied as she walked back towards the cockpit.

Within half an hour, they were landing on a rooftop in the middle of the night in China. As they waited for the back of the aircraft to open, Vielka appeared beside Bucky, he glanced sideways, but she paid him no attention, instead, placing an ear piece into her ear.

She held up one to him, without looking at him as she slid a black armoured face piece over her eyes. The white eyeholes faded to black, giving her an ominous appearance.

He took the ear piece from her fingers, brushing the tips of her fingers as he did so. The feeling when he touched them was nearly electrifying, but before he could thank her, she ran out the door the second it was wide enough for her to fit through.

Steve handed him a rifle, its familiarity giving him a small comfort. "Follow me," he said, motioning out the door.

They quickly ran across the roof top, although Bucky couldn't help but notice Vielka and T'Challa were looking over the side of the building, as Sam spread his robotic wings and leapt from the building.

Steve kicked in the door of the fire escape and Romanoff quickly ran in, weapon raised. Steve followed her, quickly followed by Bucky and Wanda trailing up the rear.

Static came through their ear pieces. "Heads up, there's a lot of movement on the next floor down," came Vielka's voice. He couldn't help but notice it was a very cold voice, nothing like the girl he first spoke to in the forest.

"You got any numbers for me, Paddy?"

"A lot..." Steve sighed and shook his head, which Bucky found mildly amusing.

They stacked up by the door to the next floor, Wanda waiting to pull it open on Steve's signal. He looked back at Bucky then Romanoff, both nodded once, then turned back to Wanda and nodded the go ahead. She concentrated on the door and soon a red mist ripped it open, Steve, Bucky and Romanoff storming into the room under a hail of gun fire.

Bucky crouched low, moving to cover as Steve flung his shield towards some men who were charging straight for them.

Another two appeared around the corner of the desk Bucky was using for cover, they fired at him but he rolled towards them, grabbing one's weapon with his titanium arm and bending the barrel. The man looked at him in alarm, before looking to kick at him. He blocked the kick and then jumped sideways as his offsider fired at him, rolling behind another line of desks for cover.

He waited until the clip was empty before standing up and firing his own weapon. His shots were on target and both men fell to the ground. There was shattering glass and weapon fire as Sam soared past the windows, shooting at some of the hostiles charging at Steve, catching Bucky's attention.

He was about to run forward and help Steve when he was tackled roughly from a door to his right. He was thrown roughly to the ground near the windows.

He looked up, seeing a man with his face covered by a helmet, painted orange and black.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here," he said standing over Bucky. "The Winter Soldier." The voice sounded vaguely familiar to Bucky but he couldn't place it.

"Bucky!" Steve shouted, moving to help but was stopped by yet more hostile men. Bucky got up slowly, eyeing the man, cursing himself for losing his weapon. Rookie error.

The masked man motioned for Bucky to get up and fight, and as he stood with his back to the windows of the office building, there was static over their ear pieces.

"Sarge, duck."

Taking heed of the warning, he quickly ducked, before there was a shattering of glass and a body smashed into the masked man, knocking him backwards. Glass shattered over Bucky, tinkling to the ground all around him.

Bucky looked up as Vielka stood up, her head cocked to the side as the masked man groaned and moved to stand. She had an air of animalistic curiosity as she tilted her head from side to side, watching as Crossbones stood before her, as if she was measuring him up.

T'Challa swung into the room, using his claws in the side of the building to swing himself inside, landing lightly beside Bucky as Vielka slowly unsheathed one of her swords. "Be gentle with him, Banzai, I have questions I would ask of him."

Bucky raised his eyebrows at the name used by the Black Panther.

"Banzai? That's you?" Crossbones asked, standing up and looking at her. He laughed loudly and menacingly at Vielka and Bucky couldn't help but feel a little agitated. "I've heard rumours about you, you're supposed to be some failed female version of Captain America, aren't you?"

That caught Bucky's attention, but he kept his focus on Crossbones.

"Hardly, I'm way cooler than Captain America," she replied, seemingly not even perturbed by Crossbones verbal jab at her, pulling out her swords and swinging them around easily.

Crossbones laughed menacingly again. "Let's see about that," he pulled a gun from his side and started firing at all three of them, but T'Challa and Bucky ducked behind desks for cover, while to Bucky's astonishment, Vielka jumped into the air, sliding one of her swords into the ceiling and using it to swing herself forward. Using her body weight to remove it again, she landed in front of Crossbones. She slashed her swords at him but he leapt back, aiming for her again.

She slid, dove and rolled out of the way quickly. Bucky quickly moved forward, tackling Crossbones and running him into the wall with his titanium arm. Crossbones threw him back off, utilising the hydraulics of his powered exo-skeleton, causing Bucky to land heavily on a desk.

T'Challa leapt forward then, trying to pin Crossbones to the wall, to disengage his Exo-skeleton. Vielka tried to assist the Black Panther, but Crossbones kicked out at her, throwing her backwards and causing her to land heavily near Bucky. He hurried back to his feet, glancing sideways at her to check she was okay, as she began to push herself back up.

Bucky saw T'Challa try to deploy a similar wrist device as what Vielka had used on him in the forest, but Crossbones caught his arm. "I don't think so, your highness." He wrestled with T'Challa until he was able to fling the Wakandan royal away from him. "Sorry, I can't stay, I've got meetings, you know how it is."

He sprinted past Steve, dropping a grenade as he ran past, before jumping out one of the windows.

"Everyone, down!" Steve shouted, putting his shield and body over the grenade like the lid to a saucepan, while Bucky dove and covered Vielka with his body, sending them both crashing to the floor.

* * *

 **Shorter chapter in comparison to the first one I think, but I prefer this length personally. It's a good length for those that like to have a quick read between jobs/errands/classes/before bed lol**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	3. Chapter 3

**Quick update! This update may answer any questions you may have about Vielka...or it may leave you with more... *wiggles eyebrows impressively***

 **xo**

* * *

There was an explosion, and debris began flying everywhere and the building started to groan as part of the floor gave way, being blown out by the grenade beneath Captain America's shield as it had nowhere else to go but down.

Vielka felt the floor beneath her vibrate violently and tensed her body as she felt it giving way, ready to brace herself for the fall and rough landing, but instead she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist, taking all of her weight and lifting her with great force as they began to soar through the air. There was a rough landing but nothing near what she was expecting.

She landed heavily, feeling the wind knocked out of her lungs, but other than being breathless, she was basically fine. She felt a heavy weight on one side of her, trying to push herself back up to check on the others.

There was a groan as she did so, and she turned to find Sgt Barnes lying over her, again. He had grabbed her, shielded her from the blast and then pulled her to safety before the floor could collapse beneath them. She grimaced as she tried to force him up off of her, but he was easily 150kg of solid muscle as she had found in the forest of Romania.

"Sarge," she grunted, still trying to push herself up even with his weight on her. "Come on, mate, we've got to check on the others."

She felt his weight begin to shift from her as he began to lift himself off of her back. "You okay?" he asked, rolling himself off of her, breathing heavily.

"Yeah, fine, come on, Sarge, move it," she said getting to her feet, looking around for her swords and activating the homing device on her wrist. She heard the faint pings echo from the hilts of her swords.

"Stop calling me Sarge," he growled under his breath as he got to his feet. "It's Bucky." She ignored his muttering as she began looking for the others and her swords, he followed her as she carefully walked the edge of the now gaping hole in the floor.

"We need to find the others and get out of here before Iron Man and the Defence secretary get to us. She peered down into the hole. It was a mess, building supports and debris were scattered several floors below. "Cap! You alive down there?"

"Barely..." his muffled voice replied, before she heard movement below the rubble. "Found your swords!"

Vielka looked around the floor they were on. "Natasha? Wanda?"

"That hurt," came a voice from behind a piece of fallen concrete ceiling. Bucky, as he preferred, looked at the piece of ceiling before smashing his titanium arm through it, and easily lifting some debris. She hated to admit but she was glad he was close at hand, because without her swords, it was unlikely she would have broken through the debris like that.

They peered down to see Wanda, using her powers to hold a metal beam off of her, Natasha, who was holding her side, and T'Challa, who had grabbed them both and pulled them to relative safety away from the collapsing floor but had been caught off guard by the collapsing ceiling.

"Crap," Vielka muttered, before hurriedly grabbing onto the metal beam and trying to lift it. She strained but made little difference, it was too heavy for her.

"Move," Bucky said, hurriedly pushing her aside. He took hold of it with both of his hands, and Vielka watched as he began to take the weight, hearing his titanium arm's hydraulics working as he lifted it.

She was almost awestruck, but quickly grabbed Natasha and Wanda, while T'Challa removed himself easily. Bucky let go of the beam when he was certain they were out of harm's way. The beam crashing to the floor loudly.

"Guys!" came Sam's voice over their ear pieces. "We've got to move!"

"Cap!" Natasha shouted down the hole in the floor.

"I'll meet you guys outside!"

They quickly made their way back to the set of stairs they had come down, back up to the roof where their aircraft was waiting, Sam already inside and starting it up. Steve was the last to clamber aboard, breathless. His uniform was torn in places and he had scrapes and grazes in all kinds of places.

"You look like shit," Vielka said smugly, as Steve bent over to catch his breath as she hit the button to close the aircraft loading doors.

He looked up at her and narrowed his eyes, before holding up her two swords and looking at her pointedly. She couldn't help but grin, the Captain knew how much she valued her beautiful swords, even if he didn't know why.

Bucky strode past Steve and put a hand on his shoulder, smiling grimly before continuing to secure himself into one of the seats. Vielka raised an eyebrow at the action, surprised by the sincerity in it. Perhaps she was misjudging the former Hydra operative.

She scratched the side of her head and pursed her lips, before moving to a seat of her own, away from Bucky. She found her cheeks heating when she thought of him grabbing her and pulling her to safety as the grenade exploded. It's not like she really needed saving, but still, he had grabbed her and pulled her away. She couldn't tell if she was more annoyed or embarrassed.

 **oOOo**

Bucky collapsed onto his bed after showering to remove all the dust and debris from his body, with only a towel around his waist.

He had thought to doze for a little while, when there was a light rap on the door. He quickly got up, moving to the door and opening it. He found Vielka there, her arms folded with her swords in one hand, looking away with an annoyed expression.

"What's up?" he asked expectantly, noting that she still had debris and dust through her hair and on her clothing.

She turned to look at him before her face paled and her jaw dropped slightly. "Jesus Christ," she said stepping back and looking away. "I get that you've not been around people for a while, but come on, mate. Decency." He smirked in amusement, he would be lying if he said he didn't mind seeing her squirm slightly.

"What's up?" he repeated, ignoring her comments, and smirking at the red now creeping across her cheeks.

"Doc wants a debrief with you," she said, before quickly turning on her heel and hastily walking away. He noticed she didn't go to her room, instead replacing her swords into their slots at her back.

He dressed quickly into a second uniform T'Challa had given him, and found his way to the medical clinic, where the Doc was waiting. He asked him some questions, ran a quick scan through the same machine he had used on him initially as well as taking some blood. He also spent some time analysing his titanium arm, asking questions about it, although a lot of them Bucky was hesitant to answer, more because he didn't know the answers than anything else.

Once it was over, Bucky wasn't really feeling up to that nap, and instead decided to wander about. He walked by a few workshops containing aircraft and different weapons, but found nothing particularly interesting. He had been a grunt after all, his job was to shoot things and protect, so anything more technical than that, he never really showed an interest in it.

He soon came across what appeared to be the gym. There was no one there, but that was no surprise really. Then he noticed a door in the wall that led into another room. He ambled over, seeing a window that ran along the wall. He glanced inside and saw that someone was inside the room.

It was Vielka. He raised his eyebrows as he watched her stretch her shoulders and put ear pieces into her ears. He furrowed his brows when he saw her slowly draw both her swords from her back, before twirling them very quickly. She froze then, and turned her head. He thought for a moment that she was looking straight at him, but when she turned away again, he realised that she couldn't see him, it was a one way mirror.

She began to slash her swords through the air, her movements fluid and fast. He watched as she leapt, twisting in the air, before landing again, her swords fanning out around her as she spun on the spot. She then ran forward, twirling her swords again, before sliding to one knee, with her swords out at her sides, before she spun again, to a stop, her face looking down.

He was so engrossed in watching her, as she flipped backwards across the room, her swords flashing brightly from the lights of the room, that he didn't hear T'Challa approach him from behind.

"A tougher warrior, you will never meet," he said, making Bucky jump. The Wakandan King smiled apologetically, he was now dressed in one of the finely pressed suits that he often wore when visiting the facility.

Bucky looked back in the window. "She's enhanced, isn't she?" he asked, watching as she threw her sword and it struck a nearby target hanging from the ceiling and remembering what Wanda had said. A perfect bulls-eye. She stopped moving then, barely breathing heavily as she stood up and rolled her head from side to side, appearing to be analysing her aim.

T'Challa frowned, before looking back to Bucky. "This is not something we tend to talk about." Bucky furrowed his brow, people really seemed to like dodging conversation about Vielka. "But her history, may not be so unlike your own."

Bucky looked at T'Challa incredulously, but he said no more, instead moving to the door and pressing the intercom. "Corporal Patterson, I am afraid duty calls for me, but I shall be sure to send you a new sparring partner." T'Challa looked expectantly at Bucky, nodding to the door.

Bucky hesitated for a moment, before walking to the door and opening it. He walked in, seeing Vielka waiting patiently. When she saw him though, her eyes hardened.

"Enjoy your training," T'Challa's voice came through the speakers and Bucky could have sworn he sounded very pleased with himself.

"Vielka," Bucky greeted, walking further into the room to stand in front of her, feeling slightly anxious as her golden brown eyes seemed to be analysing him. She wasn't short, although she clearly had some Asian in her. She stood perhaps ten centimetres shorter than himself, yet even then he was certain she could appear intimidating.

She narrowed her eyes at him, making her appear far more Asian and even animalistic, the golden brown of her eyes seeming to glow in the bright artificial lights of the training room. "Bucky..." She raised one of her swords to be pointing towards him, her face emotionless except for the cold stare from her eyes.

He thought he might try and lighten the mood a little, see if he could get her to smile and relax. "Where's your name from? Spanish? Your accent isn't."

She ignored him and instead looked towards the screen above them on the wall. "T'Challa, I know you're still there. You know, this is a bad idea, he's not wearing any body armour."

Bucky raised his eyebrows in surprise, not expecting her to be worried by something like that with the cold reception she had provided him since she found out he was more a member of the team than a prisoner.

The intercom crackled again. "His uniform improvements included vibranium threading. He is as protected as you are in your suit."

She rolled her eyes, and Bucky quickly took the opportunity to take a step towards her. He batted her sword away with his titanium arm, trying to slip in between her guard, but she was quick to bring up her knee and elbow, blocking his quick jab. She shoved him back roughly, looking at him dully.

"Well, it was worth a try," he said, grinning. She looked at him with disdain, before he began running for her as she began to twirl her swords. There was the sound of metal on metal as he blocked her swords with his arm, ducking and weaving as she struck out at him, before he caught one of her swords in his titanium hand.

Her eyes went wide as he grinned, trying to reef it from her hand, but to his surprise, she leapt forward with it, her shoulder connecting with his chest. He was thrown back several feet and was surprised at the strength behind the hit, she was a lot stronger than her appearance led one to believe.

She straightened, twirling her swords a couple of times while she waited patiently for him to stand again. He stood up, and within a second she was charging at him again, bringing one sword down from above him and the other across his front, he was barely able to block her strikes, she was so fast, and the ferocity of her strikes was surprising to him.

He knew she was good, she would have to be, being apart of Steve's team, but after fighting with her in the forest, it seemed like she must have been taking it easy on him then.

He was soon able to take advantage of a small opening he noticed she often had, catching the sword she had thought to bring down onto his shoulder, with his titanium hand, and as she spun to attack his right side, he slipped his body closer inside her strike, catching her arm underneath his, pinning it between his elbow and his side.

He was now body to body with her, and she had no way of pulling out of his grasp. He roughly squeezed his arm to his side before using her own momentum to flip her over his body, sending her crashing to the floor. He maintained his grip on her arm, twisting his body slightly to put pressure on her wrist.

He heard her hiss in pain and the clanging of metal falling to the floor before he rolled off to one side, careful to duck as she brought her remaining sword down, swiping wildly as he took a step back, collecting her fallen sword as he did so.

She flipped to her feet, a look of annoyance on her pretty Asian features as he held up the sword with a grin. He had a quick look at it, the handle was plain black and it had no defined hilt, the blade itself was just over half a metre long.

He didn't have much time to admire the craftsmanship of the blade though, as she flew towards him, bringing her remaining sword down on him. He used the sword he held to fend off her strikes, blocking each swing as she struck at him with great force. He was soon stepping back, as she started to get the better of him, until she spun low with an outstretched leg, taking his legs from beneath him. He was quick to roll backwards, away from her as she leapt forward in the hopes of overcoming him.

Once his feet were back on the floor he decided to try and end the fight quickly. He launched himself forward, discarding her sword as he did so, as she charged towards him, keeping low. He caught her around the waist, tackling her roughly. They landed heavily onto the ground, but to his surprise, Vielka grabbed him with one hand about the neck of his uniform. She leaned backwards, her knees into his chest and as they hit the ground, she pushed up.

His own momentum and heavier weight caused him to continue on, and she capitalised, landing on top of him easily as he fell to the mats.

She poised over him, one of knees pinning his titanium arm, placing the sword she still held at his neck while her spare hand pinned his right arm.

His eyes went wide when he realised, she more or less had him beat.

She looked down at him with her golden coloured eyes narrowed, her black hair falling down around her shoulders and breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath back. He raised his arms slightly and opened his hands, showing his submission, giving her a small smile. He was impressed.

She raised one eyebrow, flaring her nostrils, before hastily standing and walking away. She collected her sword from the floor, looking at both blades carefully. He saw her lip curl in annoyance and he couldn't help but smirk, remembering what she had said to him in the forest on their first meeting.

"You've got some impressive speed and strength," he said, rolling to his stomach, noticing his chest felt a bit tender from where she had charged him with her shoulder, to watch her as she slipped them into their sheaths at her back.

"I would say the same to you," she said, glancing over her shoulder. "Except you weren't trying and were pulling your punches." She glared at him, before striding from the room.

He pursed his lips. It's not like he meant to, but then he saw before his eyes several women's faces, each of them as lifeless as the one before. He shook his head, rolling back onto his back and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand as Sam appeared over him.

"Have fun?" he asked, a grin spread across his face.

"Enjoy the show, did you?" Bucky asked as Sam offered him a hand up, which he accepted.

"Oh we all did, piece of advice though. She's Asian and Australian, the whole holding back thing is offensive on so many levels," he said with a chuckle.

Bucky raised his eyebrows, so that's why he couldn't place the accent originally, she was Australian.

"I didn't exactly mean to," he said defensively, as Sam opened the door into the main gym area. As they exited, they found Vielka talking to Romanoff and Steve. She seemed rather annoyed at Steve, speaking quickly, but stopped when she saw him and continued on her way.

Sam and Bucky stopped before Steve, who was rubbing his brow in frustration.

"What was all that about?" Sam asked with a nod toward Vielka.

Steve tried to wave it off, but Bucky could tell something was up.

"She's got an issue with me..." he muttered. And he didn't blame her. After all that he had done in the past, it was less than he deserved.

Steve shook his head, but looked away signifying the conversation was over.

 **oOOo**

T'Challa was the one who had brought Vielka in, and he had told Steve to trust him. He hadn't missed her uncanny abilities, the speed, flexibility and even her strength far outdid that of other female operatives, like Natasha. While nowhere close to his own enhanced strength, she was quite clearly stronger than the average woman.

And her eyes, something about them when she was in battle had caught his attention in the early days of her joining the team. It was like she wasn't there, although she clearly was.

He could see that Bucky knew something wasn't normal about Vielka too, but out of respect for the Wakandan King's request, he refrained from speaking his own thoughts on the Australian woman.

The one thing that struck him about her, was how attractive she was if she just smiled, and not just any smile, a proper smile. Quite often it seemed she was putting it on, or it was half hearted. He recalled the one time he had managed to catch a real smile from her, and it was when she was in the kitchen with Wanda, of all places.

Steve roused himself from his own thoughts and turned back to Bucky, tapping him on the chest. "That was one hell of a fight though."

To his surprise, Bucky winced slightly, causing he and Sam to both raise their eyebrows in surprise. "You're kidding? She actually dinged you?" Sam exclaimed, causing Bucky to scowl at him as he rubbed his chest carefully.

Steve smirked, doing his best not to laugh. He had sparred with the Australian a couple of times, but had yet to come out with any injury, but something about the way she fought with Bucky was different.

He had never seen her fight so ferociously with anyone else like that. Every strike she made on Bucky, he mentally felt, he was worried that she might actual pierce through his body armour at one point. "Come on, the doc better check you out." He nodded toward the medical clinic while Sam howled with laughter, bent over in hysterics.

 **oOOo**

Vielka scowled as she looked at her wrist where Bucky had twisted with nothing but his arm strength. And not his metal arm either. It was starting to change shade slightly, but she knew it wouldn't last long, they never did. Her waist also featured bruising, where the metal shoulder had connected with her when he had taken to tackling her. She cursed herself for allowing that to happen.

She put some ice from the bucket on her desk into a small towel, wrapping it around her wrist carefully. The coolness on her wrist was refreshing and she moved to recline on her bed.

As she laid back, staring at the ceiling she began to think. She knew that Bucky wasn't putting his full effort into sparring with her, but she also knew that she was letting her own emotions affect her performance as well.

In reality, she doubted if she could beat him if he was putting in his all, but she also knew that while he was in control of himself, he would not put himself completely into the fight. She had seen it in the forest, at the mention of the guilt he might feel at his empty threat towards her. He had balked at her retort then, and she knew by the fact that he had chosen to hide out in the most remote area he could find. Heck, he didn't even want to hurt the bear.

She could relate to his situation, but that also made her very aware of just how dangerous he could be.

She was beginning to doze, when there was a light knock on the door. She sat up with a start before walking to the door and opening it slightly, apprehensively. "Corporal Patterson..." it was T'Challa.

She opened it wider, before turning and returning to lie on the bed, saying nothing to the Wakandan Royal.

"I sense you are not pleased with me," he said, leaning against the doorway with his hands in his pockets.

"You'd be wrong," she replied, rolling her eyes. There was no way she could ever be upset with T'Challa. He was the one person here that she unreservedly trusted. She had to, he was essentially her boss. While she followed Steve Rogers command for the most part, it was out of respect for his rank. As a person, she felt he let his emotions get the better of him too often.

T'Challa essentially paid her. He had tracked her down in the most remote part of the world, on an unreliable and barely believable rumour. And he had essentially left her no option but to accept his offer, although her curiosity had probably gotten the better of her more than anything else. What man, of royal stock, goes chasing after a mercenary based off a fantastic rumour at best?

T'Challa didn't say anything, and she hated it. And she knew, he knew it. While she appreciated the silence of being alone, she knew when he was silent, he was analysing her. She was well aware of the brilliant intellect of the Wakandan King, and if he was silent, it only gave him more time to think.

"You've visited me for a reason, T'Challa," she said finally, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of her bed before pushing herself back so she could lean against the wall.

She forgot about her wrist for a moment until she put all her weight on it, wincing slightly. T'Challa raised his eyebrows, noticing the ice she had wrapped around her wrist.

He immediately entered her room, moving to her bed and motioning for her to show it to him. She scowled and begrudgingly lifted it up for him to look at. He removed the ice, turning the wrist over and looking it over, running his finger along it here and there. She didn't look at him while he checked it over.

"I see, the Winter Soldier was able to break through your guard as well," he murmured, wrapping her wrist in ice again before releasing her. "Perhaps it is time we talked."

She glanced sideways at him nervously. "What about?"

"I did not travel across the world to track you down without doing my research, Vielka," he said, sitting at her desk and looking at her pointedly. Vielka, he never called her by her first name. She suddenly felt like she might scolded like she would by a parent.

She gulped but looked straight at him. "What is it you want to talk about?"

"Your past."

She licked her lips slightly, feeling her mouth go dry suddenly. So he did know.

"Yes?"

"Is this where your resentment for Sgt Barnes comes from?"

God, he was blunt sometimes. She was quiet for a moment. It wasn't so much resentment though, it was concern if anything. Distrust, maybe? She knew how dangerous someone not in control of their own mind could be, she knew very well. She was aware, that there was something else there that affected her emotions towards Bucky though, although she could not put a name to it. Perhaps it was sympathy, empathy? Perhaps she felt that by being harsh to him, she can make him stronger against that control.

She thought carefully about her next words. "I think you mistake my cautiousness for something else, T'Challa." She was careful to keep her voice level and calm.

"Perhaps," he replied, leaning back in the chair. "However, you are proof it is possible. Possible for renewed life, possible for the strength of one's convictions and mental strength to prevail."

"Stop preaching to me," she hissed, silencing the king as she turned her head away. "One is bad enough, but two..."

"I trust you unreservedly. We will do everything in our power to protect you, as you protect us. Perhaps, does Sgt Barnes not deserve the same? He has already protected you once," T'Challa said pointedly.

He was right, Bucky had been quick to try and save her from the grenade and the ensuing carnage, not that she had really needed the help. She bit her lip, remembering how he had covered her body with his own. She sighed and rolled her eyes before looking to T'Challa, the bastard was smirking at her.

"You are one of the finest warriors I have encountered, you're bravery and loyalty is of great value to me, and to the success of this team. However, your anger and, dare I say, guilt, perhaps, is going to affect your effectiveness. You need to move past this... issue... you're struggling with."

She sighed again but nodded. Once again, T'Challa showed great wisdom, one of the reasons why she respected the man greatly. "Working on it." She then looked at the Wakandan. "Tell me, do you have a contingency plan?" She narrowed her eyes at him.

T'Challa raised his eyebrows in surprise initially, but then he looked at her resolutely. "You should rest."

* * *

 **So... did that leave you a bit baffled or what? Let me know!**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	4. Chapter 4

**Howdy all!**

 **Hope you're enjoying the fic so far... progress is slow going... although I've finally thought of a plot, putting it all together is still baffling me slightly.**

 **xo**

 **Edited 07/08/2017**

* * *

 **Chapter 4**

It had been weeks since they had seen any action, but Vielka had noticed Sam and Natasha had both been coming and going from the compound. Something was up, especially since, from what she could tell, she had been called to the mission room specifically, as Wanda was still meandering in the kitchen when she had gone past.

As she waited alone, her arms crossed in front of her, she yawned, covering her mouth with her hand. She hadn't been sleeping well, her sleep disrupted by her own thoughts and memories that refused to disappear, not to mention Bucky was occasionally having night terrors next door too.

She still took the time to wake him, but usually she just pegged a football he had taken to keeping by the door, she guessed, specially for her well-being.

She yawned again, contemplating whether she should ask Wanda if she could manipulate her mind just so she could get a decent nights rest and was considering the repercussions of such a request, when she heard the door slide open.

"Sorry," came a deep, surly voice. She looked back and saw Bucky, looking at her apologetically through his long, slightly messy hair. He looked like he had just come from his bed.

"What for?" She asked in confusion, unsure as to whether he was apologising about being in the room or something else.

"Keeping you up at night," he answered simply, moving further into the room and leaning against one of the many tables. Vielka raised an eyebrow and gave a small smirk, before turning back around.

"Oh boy, I have way more interesting things that keep me up at night," she murmured, just loud enough for him to hear. She didn't need to turn around to know how confused he was by her answer, but she turned to look at him anyway. "Why are you here?"

"Was told there was a mission."

Vielka furrowed her brows. She didn't like the sound of that. She was about to ask who had called him in, when the doors slid open and Steve, Natasha and Clint, of all people, strode in.

"Well now, look who graces us with his presence," Vielka sneered before smiling and standing up to greet Clint with a warm hug.

"G'day," Clint replied, putting on his best Australian accent, which had to be one of the worst she had ever heard.

"What's going on?" Bucky asked, looking at Steve expectantly. She could tell he was as confused as she felt, as to why they would be the only two of the team to be called in.

"We've got a mission for intel," Natasha said, activating one of the screens with a tablet she held. Vielka turned to look at it, as a map appeared. It was Italy.

"We've received word that Crossbones has some kind of 'business partner' in Italy, and that he may even be basing his operations there. There's a party being thrown by one of the most powerful businessmen in the country. A viscount Fiori," Clint explained as information scrolled across the screen.

Vielka took in all the information, dates, target information and locations. "So this is just recon?" She asked as the viscount's face flashed up on the screen.

"Right."

Vielka nodded but then looked around the room. "Wait, why so many of us?"

"We aren't all going," Steve answered slowly, glancing anxiously at Natasha.

"It's just you and Bucky," she added, without hesitation and Vielka swore she saw a smirk.

Vielka gaped and nearly slipped from the side of the table she was leaning against. She glanced back at Bucky, he had his eyebrows raised seemingly surprised, perhaps not as surprised as she was.

She turned back to look at Natasha, Clint and Steve. "Are you kidding me?" She cringed as soon as the words came from her mouth and quickly continued to explain her outburst. "We've not done any training together for a mission of this nature, at all."

"That's true," Steve said, looking sideways at Natasha, it seemed he was hesitant to let them do a mission together too.

"Bucky has vast experience at staying under the radar for long periods of time, and as for you Vielka, you're tech savvy as well as knowing how to gain useful information without gaining attention" Natasha rebuked pointedly, seeming to highlight the last fact the most.

"In other words, you've got boobs," Clint said matter-of-factly, making Steve balk. Vielka swore she heard Bucky chuckle behind her too. Natasha elbowed Clint and glared. "What? It's true. We would have sent Nat, but you know, she's kind of recognisable these days. Needed a new face."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure you'll both be able to manage a basic recon mission, plus it's a pretty straight forward mission," Natasha explained, still shaking her head at Clint's comment, before motioning at the screens that were lit with a multitude of information. "Besides, we're all highly recognisable, you two, not so much, well, you not so much, but most of the general population don't remember Bucky so much anymore either."

Vielka rolled her eyes. Of course, they were both talented at staying hidden in plain sight, having both done it for years at a time.

"When do we leave?" Bucky finally spoke, taking the tablet from Natasha and seeming to scan over it all. She wasn't sure how much of it he was actually able to read, knowing that technology of his time wasn't quite this advanced, although they did manage to give him a highly advanced piece of weaponry for an arm.

"Tomorrow night, so you'd both better get organised."

 **oOOo**

Bucky looked out the back of the aircraft as it soared high above Switzerland. To play it safe, they had both agreed they needed to enter undetected, so were being dropped into Switzerland and making their own way into Italy.

They had spent the last day and a half discussing what they were going to do and how they were going to do it. He learned very quickly that Vielka knew her craft, and he actually found it fascinating to see how meticulous she was at planning every little detail.

Apparently, Natasha and Vielka had planned a lot of the details for once they were in Italy, but everything else was down to Vielka and Bucky to decide.

It was Vielka's idea to High Altitude Low Open jump into Switzerland, arguing that although Switzerland was considered a friendly country, that didn't mean that people weren't watching the airports from other countries. She still needed to keep Bucky unseen.

It was night as the aircraft flew 30,000 feet above the ground. He had never done a HALO jump before, and the thin air was starting to make him feel a little light headed.

He felt a nudge at his elbow and turned to find Vielka, holding out a breathing mask and an ear piece. She already had one over her own face. He took the ear piece and placed it inside his ear before putting the mask on. "You'll need this if you don't want to pass out. You may be a super soldier but even some laws of physics will still apply to you," she said, her voice coming through the ear piece loud and clear.

He raised an eyebrow at her mention of his enhancement, it was an odd thing for her to bring it up in direct conversation with him. It had seemed she had avoided the subject whenever anywhere near him since their sparring match.

She began putting her parachute pack on, he followed suit, checking himself over before moving to her. He began checking her pack over, but she quickly swatted his hands away and gave him a disapproving look. "I can take care of myself," she hissed, before grabbing her ponytail and wrapping it around itself and pinning it.

Bucky held his hands in the air, before putting on his balaclava and helmet and walking back towards the open door. "Ready?" he said as the red light came on by the door. She moved next to him, looking out the door.

"There's good cloud cover, it will help us out." He saw her turn to face him, and looked at her. Even with her breathing mask and balaclava on, he could see she bore a look of concern in her golden-brown eyes, her usually harsh eyes for him, somewhat softened. "I know you've never done a HALO jump before, just remember what I said and make sure you keep me in your sights. Once we hit 4000 feet, we'll pull," she said, adjusting her gloves.

Bucky nodded, he had to admit he was a little nervous about the jump, but he had no time to think about it, as the jump light went green.

Vielka immediately ran and dove, without hesitation. He was quick to follow her, diving from the plane and immediately feeling the cold blast of air battering his body. He pinned his arms to his sides, increasing his speed to keep up with Vielka, who was flying towards the ground below him, barrelling towards the cloud bank below. His heart raced as she disappeared into the clouds, now losing sight of her.

Within seconds, he was within the clouds, surrounded by nothing but white. It was an unreal feeling, but he had no time to dwell on it as he flew out the other side. He looked around and saw Vielka still below him, she had turned her body around and seemed to halt her fall slightly, her arms held out from her sides. She slowed herself enough so she was nearly at his side, before she seemed satisfied with his progress and turned herself back around, continuing her fall.

He smirked to himself, she may have been a hard ass but she wasn't completely uncaring. He checked his watch to see how long until they were releasing their parachutes. The ground was approaching quickly and he was certain they had to be falling at a rate close to 200km/h.

His heart rate increased more, although he didn't think it were possible, as the ground rushed towards him. As he soared towards the ground, he wondered what would happen to him if he hit the ground. Would he die? Could his time finally come? Perhaps it wouldn't be such a bad way to finally go. He was, technically, nearly a hundred years old. He was so mesmerised and lost in his own thoughts, he didn't notice Vielka had pulled her parachute.

"Bucky! Pull!" he heard her scream through his ear piece, bringing him out of his own thoughts. He quickly pulled, feeling the sudden force of his body being yanked back up. It winded him for a brief second, and if it weren't for the fact that he knew better, he might have thought all the bones in his back had been shattered.

He looked around and saw Vielka glaring at him and shaking her head.

 **oOOo**

Vielka landed lithely on the ground, quickly removing her parachute pack, pulling her chute down and wrapping it up within itself. Bucky ran to join her, carrying his own and looking apologetic.

"What the hell happened, Bucky?" she hissed in annoyance. Her heart had been in her throat, watching as he kept flying at full speed towards the ground. It was like he wasn't even there.

"Sorry, won't happen again," he murmured, looking shameful, pursing his lips together and not meeting her eyes. She could tell he was, indeed, apologetic, but that didn't ease her anger any. It surprised her, how angry she actually was, but then again, the whole mission was compromised if something happened to him. And she hated not completing missions.

They tucked their packs away under a couple of large boulders, before hurrying towards a barn in the field they hand landed in. She pulled the rifle she had slung to her shoulder, Bucky doing the same, and they carefully entered the barn.

They both quickly checked every corner of the barn, before both declared it clear of anyone or anything. Vielka hurried to the back right corner of the top floor, kicking some hay bales aside to reveal two back packs. She opened one, pulling out a zip lock bag with a passport, wads of cash and some credit and ID cards. Each featured her face with a different name.

She shoved the zip lock bag back into the back pack she had pulled it from, before grabbing both back packs and jumping back down to the ground, where Bucky was keeping watch outside the slightly open, barn door.

"Here," she said, throwing one of the bags to him. "Change of clothes, ID, passport, money and plastic." He caught it easily and she moved to one of the empty stalls to the side of the barn, beginning to strip off her jumpsuit. They were going to travel into Italy as backpackers and pick up new identities once inside.

She quickly changed, being careful to make sure the turtle neck she wore sat high on her neck, before picking her rifle back up and swinging her pack onto her back, walking out to take over from Bucky. He disappeared to change while Vielka checked her wrist device. They were about a day's march from the border. They could only cross the border during the day due to current Swiss law.

She could hear Bucky in one of the stalls and glanced over her shoulder impatiently. She caught sight of him without his shirt on, his hair draping across his face as he began to put his arms into the sleeve of his shirt, hoisting it above his head.

She could see he was in great shape, not that she expected anything less from an enhanced man with a titanium arm that was trained to be a killing machine. She pursed her lips slightly as she saw his normal arm tense as he brought the shirt down over his well worked chest, noticing scars here and there. She could imagine how he got those scars and she couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

She quickly turned back to face the darkness, rifle raised and began to plot their next move.

 **oOOo**

Bucky followed Vielka as they approached the border checkpoint. They had ditched their rifles in a forest they had decided to short cut through, and now lined up side by side like everyday people.

He pulled down his left sleeve slightly and adjusted his gloves, careful to make sure there was no sign of his metal arm. Vielka was looking over a map, well, pretending to look over a map. He was certain she didn't actually need it as she had led them the whole way so far, without looking at it once.

As they got closer to the checkpoint, he started to notice the guards seemed to be looking at them with great interest. He gulped slightly, before pretending to read the map over Vielka's shoulder. "Guards are interested in us," he murmured, moving closer to her ear. As he leaned closer, he couldn't help but notice the scent she gave off, it was oddly flowery, not what he was expecting, yet still very pleasant.

She didn't respond at first, before turning the map upside down, much to his surprise. "Ugh, reading maps suck!" she huffed loudly. Bucky raised his eyebrows in surprise, her voice was unrecognisable, higher pitched with a distinct American accent, and almost sweet.

He smirked, realising what she was doing and moved closer to her, before taking the map from her hands and turning it back the right way. "It goes this way, but don't worry, I know where we are going," he said, hoping the smugness wasn't too obvious in his voice.

Vielka looked at him pointedly, before putting on a grin that caught him off guard. Her Asian features were accentuated as she grinned up at him. He was caught more off guard as she slipped her hand into his left hand, her fingers intertwining with his own and wrapping her other hand around his elbow. "Thank goodness I have you," she said sweetly, batting her eyelids slightly.

Bucky had to do all he could not to burst out laughing, as he shoved the map into his hoodie pocket. They were lucky it was the middle of winter, no one would question his outfit choice, and Vielka was careful to wear a similar style to make him appear quite normal.

It was finally their turn, and they approached the desk inside the office, both handing over their passports. Vielka still held Bucky's hand, bouncing slightly next to him as the border officer checked over their passports.

"I'm just going to assume you're here for leisure?" the officer asked, flicking through their passports.

He glanced from Bucky to Vielka, who beamed at him, flashing a brilliant smile and flicking her hair slightly. He grinned back at her before stamping both their passports. "Any plans on what you're going to do while here?"

"Oh my god, the one place i really want to go to is Venice, I've heard it's, like, so romantic," Vielka answered immediately, clutching at Bucky's arm tighter. Bucky could only smile at her, worried that if he opened his mouth any more than that he would burst out laughing.

He didn't need to worry though. "An excellent choice. Well, enjoy yourselves you two," the border officer replied, waving them through, winking at Bucky as Vielka led the way, releasing his elbow but maintaining her hold on his hand as he handed her passport to her, putting his own in his pocket.

Vielka dragged him out the door, without looking back once, her eyes flashing only at the officers that they passed before she stepped out of the sliding doors. She slowed so that he could now walk shoulder to shoulder with her. She soon led him around the corner of a building and dropped his hand from hers before sighing.

"That was painful," she said with a grimace. Bucky grinned, he had found it both amusing and impressive. She looked sideways at him, narrowing her eyes. "Tell anyone about this and I'll cut off your other arm."

 **oOOo**

Vielka looked around for a moment, before nodding towards a side street, beginning to walk down it. They walked a few hundred metres, before she found the familiar door and knocked. They only waited a few minutes before the door was opened ajar, an older woman with grey hair and deep wrinkles poked her face out.

" _Madam Medici, what a fine day it is,"_ she spoke in her best Italian.

The woman's eyes went wide for a split second before she was quick to respond. _"My dear, a finer day could not be found, but the skies grow dark quickly."_

" _Darkness frightens no one here,"_ Vielka replied quickly.

The woman shut the door, and they could hear the rattle of a chain before the door was opened wide for them to enter, the old Italian woman standing to one side.

"Ellie, dear, it's been so long since you visited," the older woman said in English, although her Italian accent was thick, before hugging her. She turned to look at Bucky. "You must be Benjamin." Bucky raised an eyebrow but was quick to respond with a nod. "Such a handsome man! Ellie, dear, where did you find such a handsome man?"

Vielka, or Ellie as Gaia knew her by, rolled her eyes. "We are not going there, Gaia, he is a friend," she replied, before moving to the back brick wall of the kitchen they stood in. She tapped the wall a couple of times, before one of the bricks moved slightly. She grabbed this one and pulled it out. "How's your son, by the way?"

The Italian woman threw her hands in the air, seemingly in frustration. "That boy will be the death of me! A new woman every week, it seems." She turned to look at Bucky. "A respectable man would do no such thing, am I correct?"

Vielka saw Bucky grimace slightly before answering. "I can't really comment on that," he murmured as Vielka pulled out an expensive looking handbag and a new backpack. She looked back apologetically, before beginning to pull things from the two bags.

"Oh, darling, why not? Such a handsome man such as you, must have many women seeking your attention."

She heard Bucky chuckle nervously. She felt a pang of sympathy for him, and it occurred to her that he probably hadn't been with a woman in that way since 1945. Vielka motioned for him to join her at the table, as she pulled new passports and IDs out from a zip lock bag.

She then opened the back pack and had a look in. She raised her eyebrows and looked at Gaia. "Gaia, really?"

"You said successful American business woman, this is what they wear these days," Gaia replied defensively, before moving to sit at a chair by the door. Vielka sighed, but pulled out the clothes, handing Bucky the jeans and collared shirt, and then found the cloaking device. She flipped it over in her fingers a couple of times, examining it. "Did you test run this, Gaia?"

Gaia looked back to her and then grinned. "Oh yes, this is my finest work, I think," she said standing up and striding quickly across the room. She took the device from Vielka and pressed a button before holding it up to Vielka's face. A blue light flashed and panned across her face, before the device beeped. Gaia then pressed it to the side of her face and pressed another button.

Within seconds, Vielka was looking at a much shorter version of herself. She raised her eyebrows in surprise, it was flawless, there was no tell that it wasn't really her.

"I'm not sure whether to be impressed or creeped out right now," Bucky murmured, looking at Gaia's face, making her laugh. It was unmistakably Gaia's voice. "Nope, creeped out it is."

Vielka smirked to herself. Couldn't be any creepier than getting around with a 92 year old man who could pass for maybe 30 at the most, and who could crush you to death with one arm, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

"Well, we don't need it for face value anyway, so voice isn't going to be an issue," she said as Gaia deactivated it and handed it back to her. Vielka looked to Bucky. "Shirt off."

Bucky furrowed his brows at her in confusion, but began to strip off without argument, taking off first his hoodie, then his t-shirt. Vielka could feel her cheeks heat slightly as she faced his bare chest now.

Gaia leaned her head to the side slightly, her eyebrows raised and a perverted grin on her face. "My, oh my."

"Gaia!" Vielka scolded, motioning for Gaia to move away and give him some privacy.

His body rippled with tight and toned muscles, as well as many scars and she could see clearly where his prosthetic arm attached to his body, and she felt slightly angry. It confused her but she quickly set her face and tried to push her thoughts to the back of her mind and focus on the task at hand.

She stepped closer towards him, pursing her lips and put her hand on his right shoulder, gently moving him so his side faced her. She pushed the button on the device and scanned his arm. Once it was complete, she turned him back around so his metal arm was facing her. She grit her teeth, feeling her cheeks flush as he looked down at her, a mixture of apprehension and intrigue on his face.

"Put the device on the very point of his shoulder, Ellie," Gaia instructed, folding her arms and watching with great interest. "Where that star is."

Vielka did as she was told, ensuring it was affixed properly, before pushing the button. The device flashed and slowly the gunmetal colour of his arm began to change to the same olive colour of the rest of his body.

Vielka released a breath she didn't realise she had been holding, as the device made a faint beep to signify the camouflage was complete. Bucky looked up at her, his eyebrows raised as if he was seeking approval. She gave a small smile and nodded. He lifted his arm and looked at it carefully, wiggling his fingers in wonder and she saw the smallest of smiles drift across his lips.

She looked back at Gaia, who was grinning proudly. Vielka raised an eyebrow, this was a demented situation if ever there was one.

"This is amazing," Bucky breathed.

"Don't get too excited, you need to be careful of that device," Vielka warned.

"Ellie is right, Benjamin," Gaia chimed in. "If it loses its grip of your arm, the cloak will deactivate. That being said, it's not just going to fall off without a lot of help. Just be careful though."

"We will try and get it back to you in one piece, Gaia," Vielka said, giving a reassuring smile to the older woman.

"Oh, don't be silly, he can keep that one," Gaia scolded Vielka, which caught her by surprise and she stared at Gaia for a moment. "Look at how happy he is! Don't worry, I can make another easily enough."

Vielka looked from Gaia to Bucky who looked so grateful to the old Italian woman, she couldn't help but smile at Bucky.

 **oOOo**

Bucky looked from the sweet, Italian woman to Vielka, and was stunned by what he saw. The tall, and usually stoic woman, was smiling at him, but it was different to her usual smile. It wasn't half-hearted or forced, nor was it apologetic or sarcastic. She was genuinely smiling warmly at him. It was dazzling, her pretty Asian features accentuated and her whole face lit up, a couple of dimples even appeared in her cheeks.

He smiled back at her, seeming to catch her by surprise and her face quickly returned to a serious expression. "Go and get dressed. We need to go and check into our hotel," she ordered.

Gaia took him by the hand after he gathered the clothes and shoes that Vielka handed him, and led him to the bathroom upstairs of the small Italian townhouse.

"Here, you change in here. Ellie could only give me a rough estimate of your sizing but I think they should fit you," she said ushering him into the bathroom. She stopped and looked at him critically, before shutting the door while she was still inside.

"I have heard of you, you know? The Winter Soldier." Bucky froze and stared at Gaia, fearing the worst. To his surprise, and mild relief, she smiled at him. "Oh yes, I'm not the mild mannered, naive old lady Vielka believes me to be, but you needn't fear me either. She is like a daughter I never had, although in a rather demented manner, I suppose, very unorthodox. And she saved my life once." She looked thoughtful for a moment, staring off into space before looking back to Bucky. "You take care of my Vielka, she's lived through many a trauma. I'm too old to protect her myself, but you, you have the means to watch out for her."

Bucky stared at the old woman for a moment, stunned at her revelations and request. He wondered how well she actually knew Vielka, remembering the times he had fought her in Liepzig and Vienna, he didn't consider her the type to need protection. Gaia looked at him pointedly, and he nodded slowly. "Yes, ma'am," he murmured, suddenly feeling very much in awe of the old Italian woman. She smiled at him, before turning, opening the door and leaving him to change.

He changed quickly, the clothes fitting him perfectly. He admired the holographic cloak on his metal arm, it was flawless. It was weird, seeing himself with two normal arms in the mirror. The memory of waking up on the operating table mid-operation when they were putting his arm on flashed before his eyes. He grimaced, closing his eyes and shook his head, to clear the disturbing thought from his mind.

When he finally composed himself, he hurriedly walked back downstairs. He slowed as he came to the bottom of the stairs, to find Vielka had already changed.

She was dressed in a fitted, mid-length black dress that hugged and accentuated her curves, her hair draped freely down her shoulders and she wore black high heels. He couldn't help but notice that the dress chosen covered her up to her neck and over her shoulders. She looked sullen as Gaia finished her make up with lipstick.

"I can do this myself, you know, Gaia?" she murmured while trying not to move her lips.

Gaia tutted. "Let me have my fun! Now, put on the jewellery, to pull off a successful business woman and socialite you need all the bits and pieces."

Bucky smirked as Vielka rolled her eyes, before she finally noticed him standing at the bottom of the stairs. He saw her eyes rove over him once before she turned to do as Gaia instructed.

"Ah, Benjamin! Perfect fit! So handsome!" Gaia hurried over to him, taking him by his right arm and pulling him further in the room. "A perfect look for an equally successful businessman on a leisurely trip."

Vielka turned to look at them with a furrowed brow, as she attempted to put an earring into her ear. "Hang on, whys he get to be leisurely and I have to be... well... this?"

"That's what successful businesswomen consider leisurely!" Gaia scolded before looking at Bucky and rolling her eyes. She then returned to Vielka. "Okay, your earrings emit an EMP, just push here," she said, showing Vielka.

"Nice," Vielka gushed with a smirk.

"And Benjamin," Gaia picked up something from the table and moved towards him, gesturing to his right hand. "This watch has a grappling hook attached to a tungsten line that is weighted to 200kg. Should be enough to cover you, I think." She motioned to a button on the side as she attached it to his right wrist.

"On top of the ball as always, Gaia," Vielka said as she began putting things into the hand bag she had pulled out of the wall. She pulled out a set of keys from the side pocket of her bag, and began moving towards the door. "Everything else I asked for in the car?"

"Of course!"

"Fantastic," Vielka said, before she threw the keys to Bucky, much to his surprise. "You drive, need to allude to being a high powered couple."

"Ooohhh! You're going to look so cute together!" Gaia gushed, making Bucky chuckle.

"Don't get carried away, Gaia." Vielka patted her on the shoulder before smiling warmly at her, those dimples he saw earlier appearing again. "Thank you for being there for me again, Gaia. Until next time?"

"Don't make it so long this time!"

* * *

 **I'm thinking Vielka needs to drink more... she's always cranky!**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi guys!**

 **New chapter for you guys to enjoy.**

 **So in case you hadn't already figured it out, I try and update my stories whenever they drop of the first page of the archive. I'm not sure I will get another update this week, however, as I leave for Sydney on Thursday morning and will most likely be quite busy the day before.**

 **Chances are, I might not get another chapter up until wednesday of next week...IF IM LUCKY. As I take off again, this time further north on a fundraising trip.**

 **So it may be two weeks before I get an update done. Apologies for this in advance.**

 **xo**

 **Edited 07/08/2017**

* * *

 **Chapter 5**

Vielka and Bucky strode out from the alleyway and along the side of the street, her heels the only sound between them. The dress meant she had to shorten her stride, which annoyed her to no end and she half heartedly cursed Gaia in her mind. She noticed that Bucky fell into step with her, shortening his own stride for her benefit.

"So Gaia..."

"Don't want to talk about it," she cut him off quickly. The old lady was like family, a very strange, dysfunctional family, but the closest thing to family she had left.

They walked into a parking garage, Vielka leading Bucky. She finally spotted the car she was looking for. She walked towards the white Audi TTS parked into the furthest corner of the parking garage, stopping at the passenger side door before looking pointedly at Bucky.

He dug into his pockets, unlocking the car. Vielka dug through the huge handbag that Gaia had provided for her, it seemed completely impractical to her, but she knew the older woman was more in touch with the fashion.

She finally found the paperwork she was looking for and was about to open the passenger side door for herself, but was caught off guard when Bucky opened it for her. She pulled her hand back quickly, raising an eyebrow and looking at him sceptically.

He simply smiled back, motioning for her to get in. She felt her cheeks fill with heat, but quickly ducked her head and carefully slid into the seat, cautious with the tight fit on the skirt of her dress.

Bucky shut the door and hastily moved to the driver's side, starting the car, the engine roared to life, deep and throaty. Vielka input their hotel details into the GPS, bringing up the map on the small screen on the dashboard. "Think you can follow that?"

"I'll be fine," he said in a surly voice. He had been a bit broody since they had left Gaia's house, she her suspicions as to why, but thought better than to ask.

She smirked with a raised eyebrow, before looking through her bag again for their IDs. As he began driving, she looked through the cards. "Ok, your name is Jason Goodman, you own a successful building company in the US. It's all in here. You can read through it when we get there." She began placing his ID and cards into a wallet.

"And you are?"

She looked at her own ID and frowned before answering "Lian Kleese, CEO and founder of a make-up company? Seriously?" She heard Bucky snigger beside her and threw him a glare, which he ignored, opting to focus on the road ahead. She sighed continuing to read through the papers about them. "Been together five years, not married." She mentally sighed in relief. "Apparently we've got the invitation through your developer connections."

Bucky nodded, looking impressed while still concentrating on driving. It wasn't long before they were pulling into the hotel. She gathered her things as the valet opened her door for her.

She began to carefully slide herself out, finding it a little difficult in the tight dress. She wasn't completely unfamiliar to this type of attire, but the length, fit and low height of the car certainly hindered her.

As she tried to clamber out of the car, a hand was offered to her. She looked up to see Bucky offering her his hand, he looked at her pointedly, before giving her a sympathetic smile. She sighed before putting on her best smile back, taking his hand. She cringed inwardly when she felt the cold metal against her fingers, remembering the night he had inadvertently attacked her.

He pulled her to her feet easily, ushering her to his right side and swapping his hands, and Vielka couldn't help but feel relieved. She scolded herself for letting it get to her, making a mental note that she would need to get that under control for the party, and allowed him to lead her by the arm into the hotel.

 **oOOo**

Bucky led Vielka to the reception desk, where he allowed her to check in, looking about the hotel foyer for exit points and possible vantage points too.

He felt a warm, soft hand on his arm, turning his attention back to Vielka, trying not to show his alarm as his gaze met the golden-brown of hers. "Baby, did you want a car sent for us tonight?" she asked, putting on her sweet, American accent again.

"No, I should be right to drive us," he answered, picking up on the slight look she gave him. He smiled at the receptionist, before looking back at Vielka, as the receptionist's cheeks went pink and she ducked her head to finish their check in.

Vielka gave a subtle nod before turning back to her task at hand.

They were soon being led upstairs by one of the bell boys, arm in arm. Vielka glided along beside him with an air of overwhelming confidence and grace. He could see she was taking mental notes as they walked along, as was he, noting how far from the lift and fire escape their hotel room was.

The bellboy let them into their room. It was a large room, with a separate bedroom from the living area and well lit by large windows along one wall. He pursed his lips slightly, he didn't like that, it meant more possible vantage points from the outside to take shots at them.

Vielka turned to tip the bell boy while Bucky began moving their bags to the bedroom. As he lifted their suitcases onto the bed, he heard the hotel room door shut.

He did a quick once over of the room, checking for listening devices and cameras, before peering into the living area to see Vielka doing the same thing. She looked back at him expectantly and he gave her the thumbs up.

"Is it bad that even I can't stand my own voice?" she asked speaking normally again, hurrying into the bedroom and immediately beginning to struggle out of her heels. Bucky chuckled at her comment, as she began opening one of the suitcases revealing clothes as well as papers.

She handed some papers to Bucky, which he quickly scanned, it was an in depth summary on his alias and 'company'.

He sat on the end of the bed to read, between the suitcases as she disappeared into the bathroom with a handful of clothing, returning soon after wearing sweats, her hair tied back up into a high pony tail.

He looked up as she began pulling clothing out of the suitcases, hanging up dress and suit bags, before removing the bottom of the suitcase to reveal an assortment of weapons. He raised his eyebrows and peered inside, unable to stop himself from smirking.

"I take it you like what you see?" she asked, pulling out one of the handguns and checking it over quickly. "Don't get too excited though, these are only precautionary. We are on recon, remember?"

He sighed and stood up, before striding out to the living area, he looked towards the windows along the wall, Vielka had drawn the curtains except for one to allow for light.

"What time is this party?" he asked, as Vielka joined him, not looking up from her own paperwork.

"Seven."

He checked the watch Gaia had given him. It was lunch time, so they still had some time to waste. He pursed his lips, considering his options to waste time, he had already taken in all the info in regards to his cover. As he looked around the room, something occurred to him.

He looked to Vielka, she was sitting cross legged on one of the dining chairs, holding her paperwork in front of her. She stopped reading and looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Something wrong?"

"Sleeping arrangements?"

She cocked her head to the side, before a look of realisation spread across the Asian features of her face. "Oh..."

"I'm happy here," he said quickly, motioning to the lounge. "But we need to make sure none of the hotel staff come in unannounced."

"Easy done," she said motioning to the chain lock on the door. "We just make sure the 'do not disturb' sign and lock is on the door." But she looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. "I would feel more comfortable if we took turns with the bed though. Perhaps we take watches?"

He considered her notion for a moment. It wasn't a bad idea, but then again, he also knew he wouldn't sleep much anyway. He shook his head, recalling the first time Vielka had tried to wake him from a restless sleep. He didn't want to risk that again, he already hated seeing her cringe and stiffen whenever she touched his left arm or hand. "No, I'd rather be out here if something happened."

She pressed her lips into a straight line, raising an eyebrow before speaking again. "Forever a grunt, huh?" she said. Bucky looked at her in surprise, although he probably shouldn't have. She had been tasked with tracking him down, no doubt she would have done her research. "I'm going to go ahead and assume you've got an appetite like one," she replied, reaching to a folder on the table. She tossed it to him, before picking up her paperwork. "Order lunch."

He looked down at the folder in his hands, it was the room service menu.

He began flicking through the folder, but stopped after a moment and looked back at Vielka, his curiosity had been steadily growing with the more time he spent with her. She was still reading her dossier, but apparently noticed he had stopped reading and looked over her paperwork at him.

"What's wrong?"

"What's that scar on your neck from?" he blurted out, finally asking what had been bothering him since that night in his room. Those weren't just your general run of the mill injury scars, they looked like she had been under the knife for something.

One of her eyebrows twitched and he saw her jaw clench as her eyes darkened. She looked back to her paperwork. "None of your business."

He pressed his lips together. Obviously the straight forward approach wasn't going to work. He looked back to the folder in front of him before walking over to the phone and ordering. He then went back to re-reading his own dossier, although he struggled to concentrate with the obvious tension in the room now.

A few hours later, after lunching and comparing notes on each other's aliases, they began preparations for the party. Bucky had prepared quickly, now dressed in his tuxedo and clean shaven. He was still trying to decide what to do with his hair, whether to just gel it back or tie it off.

He found the outfit uncomfortable and restrictive, having never worn one before. He sat in the living area, waiting impatiently for Vielka and checking his watch, as he went over his alias in his head. He wasn't sure what was working his nerves, the fact that he had never been on an operation such as this, or the fact that he was going to be in a room with a whole lot of people.

Vielka was taking awhile to get ready, which wasn't helping his nerves at all. He stood up to go and check on her, only to find her walking out from the bedroom.

She wore a floor length gown in a rich burgundy colour, it sat across her shoulders with a piece of fabric that went high around her neck and down the middle of her bust. The dress fitted tight around her body before it flowed loosely down to the floor. A split extended from the bottom of the skirt up to her mid thigh, the fabric of the dress shining in the light.

Her skin glowed and her hair shone as it cascaded in soft waves, flowing down one side of her head, her lips were coloured red to match her dress. He noticed her eyes were dull, he realised she must have put in contacts to dull the colour of her eyes to a normal brown. She looked at him with furrowed brows and he realised he was staring.

He quickly came to his senses, offering a small smile. "You look, uh, great," he stammered. It really had been a long time since he had been around women, let alone attending events such as the one they were tonight. Then again, it was hard to come to terms with the fact this was the same woman that had attacked him several times over the last year, a woman he was used to seeing clad in all black with a mask on to hide her features from anyone who would look at her.

She pursed her lips, the slightest of smirks appearing across her crimson lips. "Thank you, you don't scrub up too bad yourself." He felt his cheeks heat up slightly at her casual compliment and he quickly looked down at his tuxedo, pulling the jacket down slightly. "Could do with a haircut though."

He looked at her incredulously to find her trying not to laugh. He rolled his eyes before collecting the car keys and invitation to the event, while she carefully affixed the special earrings that Gaia gave her to her ears.

"You remember the plan?" She asked, lifting her leg and placing it onto a chair, fidgeting with the clasp on her heels. He had never seen her bare legs before, they were very long and looked incredibly smooth. He noticed what appeared to be a thigh holster, peeking out from just below the split of her skirt.

He coughed slightly, drawing her attention back to him. "You might want to, ahem, just adjust that a little," he muttered, motioning to it. She raised an eyebrow and smirked, but brought her leg down, turning her back to him and bending down to adjust it slightly. The back of the dress was low cut and he could see her well defined back, he was mildly surprised there were no scars considering her line of work and weapon of choice.

She stood back up and smoothed the skirt of her dress before turning back to face him. "Better?" She asked, motioning towards the leg with the thigh holster attached. He nodded.

She then looked at him critically, tilting her head to one side. He became self conscious and frowned. "What?"

"We need to do something about your hair," she murmured, biting her lip thoughtfully. "What are your hobbies again?"

"Uh, golf, tennis..." he answered thoughtfully, beginning to rattle them off.

"Perfect," she said suddenly and disappeared back into the bedroom. She returned with a comb and hair tie which she placed around her wrist. She motioned for him to turn around, which he did so. He felt her run the comb through his hair, before she began to gather it in her hands. She was gentle, raking her fingers through to smooth out bumps before he felt her tie it off.

"Ugh, you look hideous," she sneered, pulling a face as he turned around. "But it suits the alias well, man buns are all the rage apparently." Bucky closed his eyes and shook his head, just imagining how bad he looked right now.

 **oOOo**

They were soon driving through the streets of Como, on their way to the Lake where the Viscount was hosting his party in one of the huge mansions that surrounded it.

Vielka checked through her clutch again, making sure she had everything she could need. The hand gun strapped to her thigh was purely precautionary, and perhaps a small comfort, knowing that it was possible that Crossbones could make an appearance. She shuddered, remembering his menacing laugh when he realised who she was.

"You okay?" Bucky asked, she turned to see him glancing at her with concern between watching the traffic ahead of them.

"Yes, just fine," she replied, quick to resettle herself as Bucky pulled up to a stop in front of the viscount's mansion.

She went to open her door but he put a hand on her leg, startling her. She looked at him with a look of disdain, but he looked back at her pointedly, not even flinching at her glare. "We're a couple, remember, you need to let me lead."

She pursed her lips together as she watched him get out of the car, handing the keys to the valet before he moved to her door, waving off the valet who was about to open her door for her. He opened the door, offering her his left hand.

She took it carefully, being sure to ignore the cold metal feeling of his fingers despite their appearance. He helped her to her feet, before assisting her with her gown. She couldn't help but note how very chivalrous he seemed, but of course, that was really not that surprising. He came from a time when chivalry was a way of life.

It was hard to fathom that this was the same man who had taken down some very powerful people in his past. He was ever so careful with her, taking her hand in his and draping it around his right elbow.

He led her up the stairs of the mansion where a security guard was standing behind a portly gentleman wearing thick glasses. Bucky smiled at both, before pulling the invitation card from the inside of his jacket.

The portly man looked over the invitation before checking his list, while Vielka looked up at the huge mansion, quickly calculating floor levels and trying to figure out rooms.

She noticed the security guard glaring at her and she sidled closer to Bucky, batting her eyelids a few times and flashing him an alluring smile. She was pleased when he smiled back, meaning she had lifted his veil of suspicion of her. She then turned to look at the people who were both behind and in front of her, seeing if she could recognise any faces.

As the portly gentleman greeted Bucky by his alias and ushered them inside, Bucky moved his arm to sit in the small of her back, bringing his face closer to hers. "You need to be more careful when you're looking around," he murmured, his breath tickling her ear and sending a shiver down her back.

She was surprised by the reaction, but forced herself to smile through it, seeing several eyes turn to watch them as they walked into the ball room. "Sorry, I like tall things," she replied back, glancing sideways at him as she spoke in her American accent, grinning mischievously. Bucky gaped for a moment before straightening again, taking her hand and draping it through his elbow as he had when he led her from the car.

As they walked into the ball room, there were many finely dressed women and men. Some women seemed to be dripping in jewels and Vielka wondered if the men that stood close by were just guests or personal body guards. Looking by the way they were standing, she'd wager on them being the latter.

A waiter stopped before them, offering glasses of champagne. Bucky took two, offering one to Vielka. She raised an eyebrow before taking it, her fingers brushing his as she did so, and she felt a sudden thrill shoot through her fingers. She ignored it. "Take it easy, we're working," she murmured, looking at him through her lashes as she took a small sip, doing her best not to gag, she hated the bubbly alcohol.

She watched as Bucky took a quick mouthful too, before he leant closer to her ear again. "Didn't Steve ever tell you?" She looked at him, puzzled. Steve had told her many things and she wasn't sure which he might have been alluding to. "We can't get drunk."

She considered that thoughtfully, as Bucky placed his hand on the small of her back again, leading her further into the ball room. It wasn't something she had ever considered, since they never really hung out. Sam would often share a drink with her occasionally, but never to the point of trying to get drunk, so even she had never tested her own limits since...

She glanced sideways at Bucky after a few seconds of silence and walking. "Heh, you guys would be boring at parties then."

Bucky chuckled close to her ear, and she couldn't help but enjoy the sound of the rumbling in his throat. She grimaced subtly as the thought passed through her head. As he led her through the partygoers, she could feel all eyes on them, men on her, women on him. "I think now is a good time to begin recon," she said, leaning into him more so she could whisper quietly.

She felt Bucky stiffen slightly, but he murmured in agreement, letting her go as she skulled the rest of her champagne quickly, earning her a raised eyebrow from Bucky. She winked before excusing herself, making her way to the furthest side of the ballroom, where the bar was.

She looked along the bar, there were several men standing along it, some talking to each other, others just looking around or seeking to order drinks. A bar tender approached her and she ordered herself a martini. It wasn't generally her drink of choice, but knowing her alias' was an American socialite and businesswoman, she went with the martini.

The bartender returned with her drink, placing it in front of her. As she thanked him and went to pick it up, she felt eyes watching her. She glanced to her right, towards the end of the bar.

A man was watching her, leaning against the bar. He was very well dressed, she noted the expensive watch on his wrist and two gentleman who stood a little way back from him. This guy was a big deal. It was the Viscount.

She gave him a half smile as she lifted her drink to her lips, taking a demure sip and turning to look away.

It didn't take long until she could feel someone standing beside her, or in his case, smell him, he was doused in cologne and it was hurting her nose a little. "Ciao, Bella," she heard a deep voice with a thick Italian accent speak from her right.

She turned her head slightly and found that the man had moved to her side. "Oh, ciao, signora. How are you?" she asked sweetly.

"Very well, now, thank you, Bella," he said, taking her hand in his and kissing the back of it. She raised an eyebrow, but smiled sweetly as he continued to stare at her. "And what brings you to the party?"

She sighed, trying to appear nonchalant. "I'm here with my partner, it's kind of a working holiday, I guess you could say. He's working, I'm holidaying." She smiled cheekily, and noted that even at the mention of a boyfriend he didn't remove his hand from hers.

"Oh, and where is this boyfriend of yours?" he asked curiously, although his eyes never left her and he didn't really sound like he cared.

"Oh, I don't know, probably networking somewhere, I'm sure," she said with a sigh. "Who are you here with?"

"Me? Oh, nobody in particular, this is my party, you know?"

She feigned surprise. "Oh, my goodness! Viscount Fiori! My apologies, for not recognising you sooner, how extremely rude of me!" She brushed her spare hand over his that held hers, the delight evident on the Viscount's face to hear that she was familiar with him.

"Oh, Bella, it is fine. I am far more interested in you, and why it is you are alone," he ran his finger along her knuckles. She was well aware of what he was trying to do, but continued feigning ignorance.

"Oh, well, like I said, we are really here so my partner can network."

"And what is it he does?" the Viscount asked with great interest, his fingers now drifting further up her arm.

"He owns a rather large building company in the US," she responded proudly, doing her best not to shudder at his hand touching her skin. She could see his bodyguards standing close by with their backs to them, so she needed to be sure that she behaved in what would be deemed normal for a woman dealing with the Viscount.

"Impressive, I'm sure," the viscount replied sounding completely disinterested as he looked her up and down. "Please, won't you join me in my private corner over here?" He began leading her away before she could even answer.

She gave up a half hearted fight, but allowed him to lead her away, although she did look around, trying to see if she could spot Bucky somewhere. She had no luck in the busy ball room. She was sure he would have eyes on her, regardless, so wouldn't panic.

The Viscount led her to a corner of the ball room where a section was partitioned off by a red velvet rope and tall greenery. He offered her a seat on a red velvet settee, as a waitress hurried forward with drinks. He took one, handing it to Vielka. She accepted it graciously.

"So, Viscount, to what is the purpose of this party?" she asked, before taking a sip of her champagne. The Viscount moved closer to her, and Vielka itched to shove him away, but smiled sweetly and stayed where she was.

"I'm Italian, we don't need a reason to party!" he guffawed and Vielka giggled, before taking another drink. She was going to need more to just survive this arrogant man. "So, beautiful lady, tell me, what is it you do?"

"I own my own make up business, we are quite big in the US and Australia, but we are yet to hit the big time here in Europe. Perhaps you can help me with that?" she joked, giggling.

"Ooohh, Bella, if it would mean I could see more of you, then I would indeed," he said, leering at her as his eyes roved her body and he put a hand on her exposed leg. She giggled again, before looking back out the entrance to the closed off area. She could really use a rescue right now, or she was going to knock his block off.

She turned back to look at the Viscount, smiling sweetly, and was about to ask him about what business he was in when one of his bodyguards came and spoke quietly into his ear.

The Viscount looked serious, nodding before turning back to Vielka. "Apologies, my beautiful lady, but I have business I must attend to, please, enjoy your evening. Perhaps we will meet again." He leaned forward, kissing her hand again, before a bodyguard motioned for her to follow him.

She slowly stood and followed him, looking back over her shoulder once more before she walked out from the cordoned area. It was then that she saw a secret door open in the wall, a familiar face appearing in the shadows within the door.

Crossbones.

There were other people within the shadows of the room, but she couldn't quite make out their faces. Crossbones turned to look towards her, but she was quick to turn and duck her head as she stepped out of the cordoned off area.

The bodyguard ushered her away, leading her back to the bar. She thanked him politely, smiling sweetly. He gave an awkward smile back, his cheeks reddening slightly, before turning and hurrying away.

When she was sure he was gone, she turned and began to look for Bucky. She had barely taken a few steps from the bar when she felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and pull her backwards. She jumped slightly until she was overcome with a familiar scent. It was Bucky. "You okay?" he asked, spinning her around and holding her in his arms, as he swayed to the soft music that filled the ballroom.

"I am now." He raised his eyebrows. "Not like that," she said rolling her eyes, before moving her face closer to his as she put her arms around his neck to add to the illusion that they were joining the crowd of dancing couples. "Crossbones is here," she whispered. She felt Bucky's arms stiffen slightly. "He's meeting with the Viscount right now."

"Well, that confirms who his connection is here. Do you think the Viscount is involved in weapons here?"

"He is a genius in the field of computers and programming. He would be a valuable asset to have around. If he is involved, though, I can't imagine he's the brains." She shuddered remembering him leering at her body.

 **oOOo**

Bucky felt her shudder in his arms, but it was clear she was thinking back to something the Viscount did. It concerned him, but obviously it was not something she wanted to talk about as she sighed and looked around them before speaking again. "How'd you fair?" she asked, still keeping her face close to his.

"I met a lovely young lady, named Verushka," he whispered, leaning his face closer to her, so her hair just brushed against his face. "She said she was an assistant to the Viscount." Vielka leaned back with a curious look on her face. "She was saying that after a business meeting here in Lake Como, they're moving on to Austria."

He looked back down at Vielka, who appeared thoughtful, pursing her lips. "We need to find out what's in Austria." Bucky nodded in agreement, he had tried to ply the information from the young Russian woman, but he had no luck.

As they glided slowly in the ballroom, he felt Vielka stiffen in his arms again. He looked down expectantly to see her staring off to one side of the room. He turned to look for himself but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He looked back at Vielka, she was still looking in that direction, but seemed confused and unsure.

"Are you alright?" he asked, pulling her closer and turning her away from the direction she was staring.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. I just thought I recognised someone." She relaxed slightly in his arms, but she was definitely still on edge. They danced for a few more minutes before Bucky decided there was definitely something wrong with Vielka.

"I think it's time we got out of here," he murmured, sensing the tension she was now carrying. Something had gotten into her and she no longer had her mind on their task. They had enough information for now. She looked up at him in mild surprise as he dropped his hands from her waist.

He stepped back, and her hands dropped to his chest. "No, I'm sure we could probably find out some more information," she began to argue, but he moved closer, dropping his face close to her ear.

"If Crossbones is here, I'm pretty certain he could recognise either of us. Plus the alcohol is free, no one is going to be coherent soon enough," he reasoned with her, putting his right hand over her hands on his chest.

"Depends who you are," she scoffed lightly, but gave a small nod, removing her hands from his chest. He took her hand in his and led her outside.

There was a cool chill in the air so he pulled her closer to him, wrapping his right arm around her waist. She stiffened slightly but didn't argue, or shy away. He knew he had to make their facade look real, and so did she.

He handed his ticket to the valet, and they waited while he disappeared to retrieve the car. "Who did you think you saw?" he finally asked, trying to make conversation.

"No one special," she replied curtly, but he felt a distinct shudder from her, as the car pulled around the corner. It certainly didn't seem like no one special, she was tense all over and concern was written all over her pretty Asian features. He raised an eyebrow but didn't press the matter. Just being able to converse civilly was an achievement, he didn't want to push the friendship.

The car stopped before them, and Bucky opened the door for Vielka, helping her lower herself into the car and then assisting her to make sure her dress was completely in as well. As he tried to gather the long gown together, he heard her giggle and looked up. She quickly pursed her lips, looking apologetic. He smiled coyly at her, before shutting the door carefully and taking the keys from the valet.

As they drove home, she was very quiet and stared out her window. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, as he slowed to pull into the hotel.

"Hmm? Yes, of course, I'm fine," she answered curtly. He had barely pulled to a stop when she undid her seat belt and opened her own door. She was already at the lift by the time he was able to receive his ticket from the valet. He hurried to catch up, giving a small smile to the receptionist who was watching in concern.

"Lian, you didn't wait for me," he hissed, stopping beside her. She didn't look at him, waiting for the lift bell to ding. "What's wrong?"

"I'm tired."

He raised his eyebrows, if he didn't know any better, he would think something had rattled her to her core. Then again, he didn't know any better, he knew nothing about her.

They made their way upstairs and she let them into their room. "I'm going to get out of this dress," she said bluntly, without even looking at him and hurrying to the bathroom.

Bucky watched her disappear in concern, whatever she had thought she saw, had definitely spooked her but he hoped that it wasn't going to compromise their cover.

She soon returned, clean faced and wearing sweats again. her eyes back to their usually golden-brown colour, carrying a tablet. He detected a distinct air of worry about Vielka as she walked by him, he could just see it in the way she held herself, she wasn't herself. "Ok, I'll send through the intel to Natasha." She sat down at the table, crossing her legs on the dining room chair and started to type on the tablet. She was acting as if there was nothing wrong, but he could tell, she had something pressing on her mind.

He stood from the lounge and walked towards her, stopping before her and peering at her face. She looked up at him expectantly. "You need to tell me plainly, are you compromised?"

She looked perturbed by his question and shook her head fiercely. "Of course not."

"You will tell me if you are, won't you?" he demanded. She narrowed her eyes at him but gave him a curt nod before ignoring him again. He sighed before going to shower and change.

* * *

 **I thought it would be good if I didn't leave you hanging on something big considering I don't know when I can update next**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	6. Chapter 6

**Guess who forgot that she's a day ahead of the US, where a majority of members of FF hail from, and where they were still on their weekend when the most updates happen...**

 **So you get another chapter before I leave for Sydney... yay!**

 **It's going down, I think I may have to consider updating the rating on this now though.**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 6**

Vielka typed up their intel and sent it with a heavy encryption to Natasha. While she did so, she couldn't push what bothered her from her mind. She wasn't even sure she had seen him, yet she was on edge.

If her mind was playing tricks on her, why would it be playing them on her now? At the end of the day, as far as she knew, she wasn't compromised because if even if she did see HIM, it seemed far-fetched that he had anything to do with Crossbones. He was the highest bidder kind of mercenary now.

Bucky soon returned from his shower, his hair now loose and dripping wet, he wore sweat pants and no shirt and his titanium arm was now exposed.

She cringed slightly, seeing him without a shirt, looking away as he opened the bar fridge and grabbed himself a drink of water. "How'd you go?"

"All done. How are you feeling? Freedom?" she asked, earning herself a look of confusion. She motioned to his hair.

He chuckled before nodding. "Really good."

"Okay, I'll lock the door and put the sign up and then I'm going to bed. You want to go and grab yourself a pillow and blanket since you refuse to take watches?" she exaggerated her last words as she stood.

"You're probably more used to comfortable beds than I am, anyway," Bucky replied as he disappeared into the bedroom. She clenched her jaw slightly, as she opened the door slightly to slide the door tag onto the door handle. He really had no idea, but she wasn't going to enlighten him either.

She turned in time to see him exiting the bedroom with a blanket and pillow. "That going to be enough for you?"

"I'll be fine," he replied, throwing the pillow onto the lounge before making himself comfortable.

"Ok, goodnight."

 _An explosion. Screaming. Gun fire. Orders being shouted, followed by more screaming. Gun fire. Rapid gunfire. Pleas for help. Laughter._

' _She's going to be my prize catch.'_

 _Then there was the sound of a drill, a grinder, the sound of a grinder cutting through bone. So much pain._

 _Yelling followed pain. More yelling. More pain. Don't complain, it will only make it worse. Push on. Fight, fight hard. Can't be weak. Don't cry. No emotions._

 _Faces, so many familiar faces. These faces mean different things. Friend? Foe? Victim... more victims. Friend ... turned foe._

 _There was screaming, metal hitting metal and metal hitting bone. Metal hitting bone had a unique sound, it wasn't something you could easily forget._

 _Information overload. Command does not compute. Command does not compute. Error. Fight it... fight it... fight!_

 _"Vielka? Vielka!" Who is that? Wait, is that me? Was that me? Yes..._

"Vielka!" Her eyes shot open and she fought against strong arms. Her body felt hot and the room was dark. "Calm down!" A cold grip pinned her to the bed and a light was turned on. She found herself pinned to the bed by Bucky's titanium arm, and he now peered down at her with great concern. "You were having a nightmare."

 **oOOo**

She was breathing heavily, staring off into space as he pinned her to the bed. Her strength had proved difficult to overcome in her slumber induced terror, but he managed to pin her for long enough to flick on the bed side lamp.

He looked down at her, kneeling by the bed as she got her bearings again, she looked at him, confused and scared. "It's okay, Vielka, no one here is going to hurt you."

She finally relaxed under his grip and he released her, sitting on the side of the bed beside her. "Are you okay?"

She licked her lips, placing a hand on her forehead and closing her eyes again. "Yeah..."

"What happened?" he asked, curious as to what had her fighting in her sleep so furiously.

"You don't want to know," she answered bluntly, sitting up and resting her arms on her knees. Her face was still pale and she looked troubled. He felt the urge to comfort her, but thought better of it. She would probably just tell him off, if not punch him.

"Well, if you want to talk about it, you know where I am," he said simply, moving to leave.

"Hey," she called as he was about to walk out of the bedroom. He turned back to see her propped back on her elbows and her cheeks a faint pink. "Thank you, Bucky."

That surprised him, but he waved off her thanks. "You do it for me." With that he left her alone.

 **oOOo**

The next day, they received an encrypted call from Natasha. "The Viscount is throwing another party. This time it's a pool party, and it's being held tomorrow."

Vielka pressed her lips together and looked sideways at Bucky. There was no way they could have him there. If the cloaking device got wet, Bucky's arm would be exposed. She looked back at the screen. "So I'm on my own then?" she asked. Bucky balked and looked at her incredulously, but she ignored him.

"In a manner of speaking. Bucky would most likely be close by, but I can't think of any way that we can actually get him into the party without a high amount of risk of him being exposed."

"I don't think this is a good idea," Bucky objected.

"Well, we didn't ask you," Vielka muttered, earning her a glare from Bucky. She saw Natasha smirk slightly, but she didn't say anything. "So what's the objective now?"

"We need the Viscount's phone. If our hunch is correct, he will be keeping a lot of info on there and we can create a copy of it so we can keep tabs on who he's talking to and what about."

Vielka nodded, taking a sip of her coffee and thinking for a moment. It would be difficult but remembering how handsy the Viscount was at their last meeting, she was certain she could handle it.

"So how do I get in?"

"Well funnily enough, it seems you left an impression on the Viscount last time, he sent an invitation to your 'make up company's website' email."

"I don't like this," Bucky said again, walking away from the table. Vielka rolled her eyes and looked back at the screen, Clint was now standing next to Natasha.

"See, I told you it was because you had boobs," he said with a grin.

"Natasha?" Vielka asked dully.

"I got this." WHACK!

Vielka shut the screen of the laptop and finished her coffee before looking to Bucky. He was sulking on the lounge. "You, go get your arm on, we're going shopping."

He frowned and looked like he might refuse, but she looked at him warningly and he rubbed his hands over his face and groaned. "Fine!"

 **oOOo**

Bucky and Vielka walked through the streets of Como until she finally found a store she seemed satisfied with.

He followed her in, rather unwillingly. His gut instinct told him that everything about this plan was risky. Although he knew she was more than well adapted at taking care of herself, something did not sit right with him about her going in alone.

He trailed behind her as she scanned the racks of swimsuits. "You keep looking sulky like that, baby, and I'll make sure I give you something to sulk about," she said in a low voice, as she bent over and looked at a garment on a low rack.

He glared at her back, she was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a sleeveless turtle neck that just covered her to the tip of her shoulders and fitted close to her curves. When he was younger, and normal, he might have found her alluring but right now he found her very agitating.

She stood up, holding a garment in her hand. "This one will do, let's get out of here."

"Oh hi!" A woman damn near shouted, walking over to them. Bucky saw Vielka stiffen and curse under her breath, making him smirk slightly. "Can I help you at all?"

Vielka glared at Bucky before turning around to face the shop assistant. "Oh hi," she said in the sweet American voice that she loved so much. "Oh, I'm quite alright. I'm just going to buy this one, I think."

"That one? Oh, it's nice, but what's the occasion?" The young Italian woman asked, taking the garment from Vielka.

He could see she was already getting agitated, which he was ashamed to say, he was getting a little pleasure out of her discomfort. "She's going to a big pool party," Bucky answered for her, she turned to glare at him, her jaw clenched. "You know the type, big names, gorgeous girls."

"Oh my god! Are you going to Viscount Fiori's party? Oh, I'm so jealous! Come, we will find you something much better than this." She proceeded to grab Vielka by the arm and lead her further into the store, mouthing abuse back at him as she glared at him.

He chuckled to himself, following behind. He was going to pay for this, big time, so he may as well enjoy it. The shop assistant was grabbing garment after garment off the shelves, ignoring Vielka's protests. She ushered Vielka into a changing area, before offering Bucky a seat close by.

He sat back and relaxed, listening to Vielka's protests from behind the curtain as the shop assistant entered after her. He had to do his best not to laugh aloud, covering his mouth with his hands to control himself.

She had been gone for about 40 minutes before the protests subsided. He furrowed his brow, mildly concerned about the sudden quiet, when the shop assistant stuck her head out from the corner, beaming at Bucky. He raised his eyebrows, as she grinned, before she stepped out of the curtain and pulled it back.

He peered past the curtain, there was a wooden door further behind it, which slowly opened. Bucky's jaw dropped somewhat as Vielka walked out, she was wearing a black one piece with a high neck that fitted tightly to her curves, but unlike so many of her other outfits she'd worn since they arrived in Italy, this one had a cut out that showed her cleavage. There were no scars there.

There were also cut outs at the side and he spotted signs of a tattoo poking out from the edge of the right cut out. He raised his eyebrows as she stepped out further. Her hair had been tied higher and she wore black heels with gold detailing and straps that Criss-crossed up to just below her knee.

Bucky licked his lips slightly, feeling his mouth suddenly very dry. He quickly bit his lip when he saw the look on Vielka's face. She may just kill him later.

 **oOOo**

"Look, it paid off, didn't it? 100%, the Viscount will want to keep you close to him now," Bucky argued as Vielka dumped the bags she had been forced to buy. Bucky's reaction had not helped her protests against the shop assistant at all. He'd sat there gawking like a 15 year old school boy.

She rounded on him to tell him so, but when she found him standing before, him looking at her in frustration, she found she really couldn't. For starters, he wasn't that old when he underwent enhancement. He was only a young man, if all accounts were true.

He had also spent the larger part of 80 years under mind control, of which she highly doubted meant getting close to anyone of the opposite sex with an arm like that. Add to that, he was probably right, the Viscount would probably find the outfit choice far more alluring than her original choice, if Bucky's reaction was anything to go by.

That didn't mean she couldn't still be annoyed at him though. "Argh!" she exclaimed turning away in frustration and throwing her hands into the air.

"Look, sorry I threw you under the bus with the assistant, but it worked out, trust me!"

Vielka spun around, landing a well placed punch to Bucky's left cheek that forced him to take a step back with the power behind it. She glared at him as he raised an eyebrow in surprise, running his tongue over the inside of his cheek. "I may have deserved that," he said after a moment. She huffed and stormed into the bedroom with her bags to get ready.

 **oOOo**

Bucky sat on the lounge waiting patiently, wearing a hoodie over his uniform, his gloves on to help cover his titanium arm. He was going to be ready in case something happened at that party.

He rubbed the left side of his jaw, which, surprisingly, still smarted from her punch. It had definitely caught him off guard, but he couldn't blame her either. If anything, he was impressed, yet again, by the amount of strength she had.

She soon walked out, her face looked very glamorous and her hair sat high on her head in an extremely high ponytail with a large intricate looking design going through it. Her face held a sullen look, seemingly still annoyed at him. She had a light coloured trench coat over her swimwear, moving to the table with her handbag and a small case. She motioned for him to join her and he complied, not wanting to anger the Australian any more than he already had.

She opened the case and inside were ear pieces for both of them and a small tablet that could easily fit into the palm of Bucky's hand. She also reached into her handbag and pulled out a handgun, waving it before him. "It won't come to it, but... precautionary." He nodded, as she showed him the tablet. "Natasha will be calling at the beginning of the operation, keep that channel open so she can hear what's going on, our ear pieces link to that."

"Okay, are you going to be carrying?" This was something that had been a concern for him since the idea had originally been put before them by Natasha.

She looked at him with a deathly glare. "Yes, I can totally hide a weapon in that outfit, Bucky."

He gulped and looked apologetically at her. He should just keep his mouth shut for awhile.

"Let's go."

Vielka stepped out of the car elegantly, smiling at the valet that opened the door for her. She glanced back and nodded to Bucky, before turning and striding confidently up the stairs. She heard him begin to drive away, revving the engine a little more than necessary, she thought.

A young woman greeted her at the top of the stairs of the mansion that stretched out before her. The hostess was flanked by two large, yet finely dressed, security guards. Looking at their jackets, she could tell they were carrying side arms, possibly even something bigger. She gave her name and was led further into the party to a makeshift cloak room, where she was helped from her coat.

She heard the whispers as she strutted from the room, accompanied by another hostess, leading her towards the pool area. She was well aware of the men staring at her as she followed the hostess to the bar. "You have your own private area over here, ma'am," the hostess said, motioning to a wall of private cabana type areas. Vielka smiled gratefully at her, although was very aware that her cabana seemed to be the furthest and, somewhat, out of view of the main pool area.

She ordered herself a drink, before walking towards the cabana, smiling at a group of ladies who lounged by the edge of the pool.

Once she was at her cabana, she chose a lounge closest to the entrance of the cabana, so she could keep an eye on proceedings.

She touched her ear piece carefully, pretending to fidget with her earring as she reclined on the lounge. "Bucky?" she murmured.

"I'm here."

She hated to admit it, but hearing his voice gave her a feeling of mild relief. "You've got Comms open with Natasha?"

"Yep, we're here too," Natasha's voice came through loud and clear.

"Any sign of Fiori?" Bucky asked, she could hear a hint of anxiousness in his voice.

"Nothing, but I'll wager he will come and find me very soon," she muttered, watching as another group of women walked by, seeming to glare at her. "There was a private cabana waiting for me, so he was expecting me for sure." Arrogant bastard. "Security guards are armed too."

"Why would you need armed guards for a pool party?" Natasha wondered aloud, although they all had a general idea for the answer to that.

She looked towards the pool, there were a few men in the water who wouldn't have looked out of place from a swimwear shoot for a men's label. A few of them looked back at her, smiling or winking at her. She raised an eyebrow but didn't respond to them.

She had only been sitting for about fifteen minutes when she felt someone's eyes on her. She looked across to the other side of the pool, seeking to find out who was watching her and froze.

Her heart leapt into her throat and her breathing hitched. She looked away quickly, before looking back up to see he still stared at her, a smirk on his face.

There was no mistaking who it was.

"Vielka, your heart rate just shot up, what's going on?" she heard Natasha ask through her ear piece, her voice laced with concern.

"I've got to get out of here."

"Wait, what?" Bucky demanded. "Do you need help?"

She didn't answer, instead standing quickly and making a move to return to the entrance. She stopped fast when she saw another familiar face, their arms folded across their chest as they stood to block her path.

She looked behind her, sure enough, another one moved into position. "Fuck."

"Corporal."

She stood ready, although she couldn't help thinking she was not dressed for this shit. She looked back to the man standing in front of her. "Lieutenant."

"We've got someone who wants to see you," the one standing behind her said, as the man who had been watching her from the other side of the pool, moved to stand next to the Lieutenant.

"They should really book an appointment, I think I'm free in about... 50 years?"

"I think he's done waiting, Corporal."

"Nuts for him then, huh?" she said, analysing her surroundings. She was wearing heels which would hinder her slightly, but could also prove useful too. "I'm kind of flattered, though."

"Why?" the one behind her sneered. She glanced behind her, giving him a small smile.

"He sent three of you to get me," she said with a smirk, before moving quickly, grabbing a sun lounge to her left and throwing it at the two in front of her. She turned quickly to fend off the grab from the man behind her, he was quick and she knew it. She was quicker though.

"Hold on, Vielka!" she heard Bucky in her ear.

He moved to punch her, but she blocked it with her forearm, before aiming her own jab to his shoulder, hoping to throw him off balance slightly. It was enough and she was able to kick his side, which was now unprotected as he tried to regain his balance, and then brought her leg back slightly, before slashing across his face with her heel. She left a deep gash in his face.

He was quick to compose himself though, blocking another punch she threw with her left arm, before grabbing her right, trying to pin it. She used the chance to knee his mid section, putting an elbow into use and connecting with the side of his head. He flew into a nearby wall, as she turned to face the other two who had untangled themselves from the lounge she had thrown.

By now, the other partygoers were fleeing in fear as they fought fiercely, causing destruction as they did so.

The two men ran towards her and she worked to block their punches and kicks, ducking and weaving as they kept closing in on her. She tried to throw in her own attacks as she blocked theirs, but together they were two quick for her. The Lieutenant's kick connected with her mid section, sending her flying back into a wall and she landed to the ground heavily.

She strained to push herself back to her feet, the breath knocked from her lungs as they both charged at her again. She blocked the Lieutenant's boot, before catching his second's hand, she pulled them both off balance, striking out at both of them with her long leg. She connected and they were both sent crashing into a, now empty, cabana.

She went to make a run for it, but the first man to attack her had finally gotten to his feet and tackled her to the ground. She fell, but used her momentum to flip him over her, as she had done with Bucky while they were sparring, except flinging him off of her with her leg strength and she sent him crashing into an outdoor table on the opposite side of the pool.

The other two stood and began making their way towards her, the look on their faces telling Vielka they weren't planning on taking it easy on her, regardless of what their orders might be. She turned her head quickly to look for the other and saw he was clambering out from the table he had destroyed, but as she did so she felt her earrings hit her cheek.

"Oh, EMP!" she murmured, grinning. She hit the button on her earring and all three men immediately froze and collapsed to the ground.

She was now breathless as she struggled to her feet, knowing their systems wouldn't take long to reboot. She could hear gun fire in the distance, guessing that Bucky was fighting his way in and it spurred her on to keep running.

 **oOOo**

Bucky was fighting his way through fleeing partygoers and less than welcoming security guards. He ducked behind cover as another one shot at him, waiting for him to reload before standing and taking his own shot. The guard fell to the side, Bucky running forward hurriedly, his eyes constantly seeking out Vielka.

He had heard her in his ear, she had sounded panicked initially, and then conversed with someone she seemed familiar with. She was now breathing heavily like she was running, and every now and then it sounded like she was in a struggle. The last thing he heard her murmur was something about her EMP.

He turned a corner and saw her fighting off a guard, taking his weapon and using it to knock him out. She was only wearing her swimsuit and heels, although she looked like she had been thrown around a bit, her hair falling down around her face now, and she had a few cuts and abrasions on her arms.

"Vielka!" he shouted. She turned and looked towards his voice. When she saw him she gave a smile of relief, before moving to join him.

She had barely taken a step when a sword was placed against her neck from the shadows of a side corridor. She froze, holding her head up as the sword slid across the top of her swimsuit, causing her to grimace slightly. "Vielka..." an icy cold voice said. "I haven't heard anyone call you that in a long time, Corporal."

Vielka looked sideways at the person who had spoken, and her face paled. Bucky kept his side arm trained on the shadow as a tall man stepped out.

He was wearing black fatigues, with gloved hands and red hair. Bucky clenched his jaw as he leered at Vielka. "Let her go."

"Or what? You'll shoot me? Risk hurting her? I doubt it."

"Just shoot him, Bucky. Save us all the trouble," Vielka said calmly, sneering at the man. He pushed the sword harder against her neck, making her hiss with pain and the swimsuit tear, exposing her scar and blood beginning to drip down her neck.

"Now, now, Corporal. It's about time the team got back together," he said, sneering as three more men now appeared, looking rather beaten up, from outside. The man glanced at them shaking his head. "I didn't think three would be enough, but orders are orders."

Vielka's eyebrows raised at his remark and she glanced at Bucky, her face now filled with concern as she gulped. Then he saw a look in her eyes that had his own mouth go dry. Pleading. Her eyes were pleading for help.

"If you don't mind, we've got places to be, and I believe the authorities will be here for you shortly." The man grinned, while one of his three offsiders took the rifle from Vielka, aiming it at him, the others led Vielka down the corridor.

As they disappeared, Bucky heard the sirens in the distance. He was right, the cops were on their way. He quickly ran out to the front of the mansion and around the corner to where he had left the car. He would need to ditch it eventually, but for now he could use it.

"Bucky, we are on our way to get you. You need to get somewhere safe," Steve's voice came through his ear piece.

"We've got to get Vielka, she looked terrified."

"We will, but we've got to get you out of there first," Steve argued, he sounded distracted.

"Out of here? You'll need me to get her out of here," Bucky argued angrily, as he cycled through the gears of the Audi, speeding through the streets of Como. It was dark in the city now, so he found a poorly lit street, leaving the car and running on foot. He had an idea of somewhere safe to go.

"It's too risky, we don't know who these people are, they could be using her to lure you in," Steve replied. Bucky grit his teeth as he ran along the shadows of a wall. Remembering her eyes as they led her away, there was no way this was about him.

"Bucky, where are you going?" Natasha asked, after a moment of quiet murmuring on their end.

"Gaia, Vielka's friend."

"Okay, wait for us there," Natasha said, seemingly satisfied although he heard arguing in the background.

He raced through the streets until he found the one he was looking for. Keeping to the shadows, he edged his way down the alley, looking for the familiar door.

He tapped against it lightly, looking down both ends of the alley cautiously, as the tapping sound of rain beginning to fall could be heard. A light was turned on inside and the door cautiously opened. Gaia looked up at him with wide eyes, looking behind him with interest. "Where is Vielka?"

He stared at her for moment, she had used her real name, before he looked regretfully at the older, Italian woman, and she pursed her lips together but let him in, stepping back and opening the door wider for him. "What happened?" she asked urgently, closing and locking the door behind him and shutting the blind as she did so.

Bucky began to explain, sitting at the dining table in the small kitchen, as Gaia began moving quickly around the kitchen, pulling boxes and packages from several different cupboards.

"I see," she finally said once he had finished. To his surprise, she did not seem too surprised to hear any of it. "She knew they would still be looking for her. Interesting, they chose now to take her, I wonder why?"

He stared at the Italian woman. She obviously knew who these people were. "What do you know?" he demanded.

"I know that you need to get her out of their quick smart or you won't be getting her back at all." She began pulling items out of the boxes and packages. Guns, ammo, grenades of different kinds, Comms and some other gadgets. She put them all over the table. "Are your friends coming?"

He hesitated for a moment, wondering who the hell this woman was, before he slowly nodded. "They seem more interested in getting me out of here rather than getting her though," he muttered, feeling agitated again by his argument with Steve.

Gaia pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. "They should be worried about getting her out. If they run the program, it will be very hard to get her back."

"Program?" he asked in confusion. Gaia raised her eyebrows and was about to reply when they heard sirens close by.

She froze and listened for a moment. "Hmm, time is running out. Take what you need," she handed him a back pack, before walking over to a device she had left on her kitchen counter. She typed away while he hastily packed. She soon jumped to her feet, taking the device to him.

"Here, I think you might find her in this area," she said, motioning to the screen.

"What's this?" he asked looking at what appeared to be a map grid, it had lots of strange squiggly lines on it though, that ran beside and through streets.

"It's a power grid. This area here is using a lot of energy, so it would be the most likely place they would keep the project."

"What project?" he asked in confusion. There was the sound of tyres screeching at the end of the alley.

"No time, upstairs! Go, follow the roofs! Get her!" Gaia ushered him to the stairs, before beginning to pack things away hastily. "Go!" she hissed when he hesitated, seeing her drape an old shawl over her shoulders and place thick glasses on her nose. She smirked before turning to face the door.

He raced up the stairs, two at a time until he reached the window. He looked out, checking to see if there was anyone waiting, before he climbed out and then up to the roof. Once on the roof, he was able to run along them as the old design of the city had it so all the terraces tended to run adjacent to each other, although was careful with his step as the tiled roofs were now wet and slippery as the rain steadily fell.

He followed the map on the tablet, while being careful to keep out of sight. The Italian police were on high alert for him, helicopters constantly patrolled the skies and he often had to duck into the balconies of the terraces, but there was no way he was going to give up on finding Vielka.

* * *

 **Ok, now i'm certain I won't be updating for a little while!**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey gang!**

 **Back from the Sydney trip, in the middle of a massive clean up from that, but knew I really needed to get another chapter up, it's just getting too exciting not to.**

 **So...I have to admit one thing. Trying to figure out the timeline for Vielka's back story really did my head in and I couldn't get it to marry up the way I wanted, so I threw in the towel and just chucked in some numbers.**

 **And in other news, updates will probably start to slow down...my husband has been returned from a field exercise due to his PTSD, so I'll be focused on getting his head back on straight. I'll still try and write, but it's not going to be regular updates for a while I don't think.**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

Finally it appeared he had reached the destination that Gaia had found for him. He looked down into the gated factory location. It looked unkempt, like perhaps it wasn't fully operational. The armed guards at the front had him thinking that Gaia was onto something.

He took the rifle that he had taken from Gaia's cache into his hands, before tapping his ear piece. "Natasha? Steve?"

"I'm here," Natasha replied. "We're nearly there, Bucky, we'll get you out of there."

"No, I'm going after Vielka. We need to get her out of here now. Lock on to my current co-ordinates."

"Bucky, wait!"

He didn't wait. He jumped down from the roof to the ground below and slunk his way into the compound. It took him a good part of an hour to fight his way in. He was doing his best to infiltrate the factory without raising the alarm, but even then, he felt like this was way too easy.

He crept towards the end of a corridor, finding it led to a large empty room that looked like it may have once held large machinery of some sort, but most had been removed or pulled apart.

He edged closer for a better look, noticing something hanging from the ceiling and dangling just a few feet from the floor. He raised his rifle, keeping his aim trained onto the silhouette. When he got closer, he realised it was Vielka. He hurried forward reaching her within seconds.

"Vielka, hey," he hissed, trying to rouse her. He reached up and felt for her vitals, they were strong, and he felt her stir under his hand.

"Bucky?" she murmured, struggling to open her eyes, trying to lift her head slightly. Her hands were tied together above her head, and he could see the muscles in her shoulders straining under her own weight.

She was bruised and battered, her body covered in sweat. Her clothes had been changed and she now only wore a cropped sports top with black fatigue pants, the same as the pants the men who had taken her were wearing. Bucky could clearly see the scar around her neck now and saw it extended down her chest slightly too. He didn't have time to worry about that now though, beginning to check for a way to get her down.

"Yeah, it's me," he muttered, looking around quickly, before he set to work on trying to free her from her bonds.

"Bucky, no, don't," she breathed, lowering her head again. "Get out of here."

"I'm not leaving you, the others are on their way," he replied, pulling a flick knife he always carried on him from his pocket. He then noticed swords had been slung to her back, he furrowed his brow and stared at them for a moment. Why would they give a captive, weapons?

"James 'Bucky' Buchanan!"

Bucky froze at the familiar voice. It was the same voice he had heard on his first mission with Steve's team.

He spun around, raising his rifle, as the lights within the room were lit, blinding him for a moment. Once his eyes had adjusted to the sudden light, he saw standing at the other side of the factory floor, was Crossbones, Viscount Fiori stood a little way behind him, carrying a small metal box, as did the red haired man who had taken Vielka. Bucky also noticed several other men and women appear from the shadows around the large room, they were also dressed in the same fatigues as Vielka and her captors. He counted at least thirty.

Bucky raised his rifle and trained his aim at Crossbones, but his aim drifted to the red haired man, and then his associates who crept closer around he and Vielka. They were surrounded.

"The Winter Soldier," Crossbones sneered as he walked forward.

"Let her go, Crossbones!" Bucky warned. "You don't want to hurt her!"

Crossbones raised his eyebrows before he started laughing. "You're absolutely right! I don't want to hurt her! And you're in no position to be throwing out demands, Winter Soldier."

The Viscount motioned to the men and women, who closed in on Bucky. Seeing he was outnumbered, and concerned for Vielka, he allowed them to disarm him.

They forced him to his knees, several rifles pointed at him, as Crossbones strolled forward, a smug grin on his face. He stopped at Bucky, crouching slightly to look at Bucky's face. "You have no idea."

He stood up and kept walking towards Vielka, who hadn't moved, Bucky couldn't understand why she didn't even struggle to at least kick out at him.

Crossbones reached her and nodded to the Viscount, who pressed a button on a small remote in his hand, causing Vielka to be lowered to the ground. She fell forward to her knees, then to her stomach but Crossbones stepped forward, grabbing her hair and forcing her head up. "That's the girl, wakey wakey, we want you awake for this bit," he said, slapping her cheeks a few times. She grimaced but her eyes focused, her nostrils flaring as she was forced up onto her knees.

She looked past Crossbones to Bucky, apologetic. "I told you to get out of here."

Crossbones laughed menacingly. "That she did, but I'm glad you didn't, Bucky," Crossbones said, patronisingly. He nodded to the red headed man, who drew a sword and held it by his side, moving next to Vielka.

Bucky's eyes went wide, fearing the worst. "Don't you hurt her!" he shouted, starting to struggle. One of the women guarding him hammered him with the butt of her rifle to his right shoulder. He was forced forward, stopping himself with his titanium arm.

"I keep telling you, Bucky," Crossbones mocked. "I'm not going to hurt her. She's-" he motioned to Vielka. "Going to hurt you." He grinned and nodded to the Viscount.

The Viscount moved to stand behind Vielka, the red headed man forced her head forward, although she tried to strain against him now.

"Please... don't..." she stammered.

The Viscount opened the small metal box, and from that he extracted what appeared to be a small memory card or chip. He touched something at the top of her neck and she began to fight back even harder. The red headed man held his blade to the side of her neck, and she hissed as Bucky saw blood start to appear where his blade was resting.

"Vielka!" Bucky started trying to get to his feet but two of the bigger men surrounding him moved forward and restrained him. Vielka's eyes were filled with terror and sorrow as she pleaded.

"Bucky..." Vielka gasped as the Viscount seemed to push the chip to her neck. Bucky stared at Vielka. "Run..."

Her eyes went cold. All colour left them for a moment, and her facial features lost all life. Bucky feared the worst for a moment. Two more men moved forward and dragged her to her feet where she dangled lifelessly for a moment, but eventually her feet took her weight again and she stood straight up.

Then, she looked up again, she looked straight at him, but there was no emotion in her face, there was no emotion in her eyes. Her body just stood straight and lifeless.

"Vielka...?"

"Oh yes, now, you'll get to see the real Vielka," Crossbones said menacingly. "You see, after I met her in China, I researched her alias and I found out some very interesting information about Banzai."

He began to circle Vielka, who didn't move, her eyes staring straight into the distance. "Also known as Corporal Vielka 'Banzai' Patterson, former special forces officer in the Australian Army, close quarters combat specialist, earned her nickname from being renowned for charging into a fight without hesitation. Listed as MIA in Afghanistan in 2004 after an IED explosion and ambush."

Bucky looked from Crossbones to Vielka incredulously. "You see, rumour has it there was a doctor who was a bit crazed, intent on world domination and he wanted to create his own army, but the locals weren't much good at soldiering. So, he 'collected' his own, starting with Red here, who he actually saved after being left for dead after a battle."

He motioned to the red head, whose face didn't change at the mention.

"He used his start up set of soldiers to attack other units that entered their province and kept them for his own collection. Only thing he didn't count on was age. He died before he could reach his goals, leaving all these guys..."

He motioned around them to the men and women who clung to his every word.

"In stasis, at least until the Americans found them. Then they went to SHIELD, but lucky for them, Hydra operatives happened to be working in sleeper cells within the organisation. As you know, that collapsed, most chose to stay put with their Major," he said motioning to the red head again. "Who put them to work for the highest bidder, but little miss over here... she went AWOL."

Crossbones stood in front of her, looking at her face, before his eyes drifted down. "Her whole body is reinforced, she's a programmable soldier, spy and...well..." he leered at her body again, before looking back at Bucky. "Anything I want her to be, really."

Bucky struggled against the arms that restrained him. "Don't you dare touch her," he growled, itching to get his titanium fingers around Crossbones throat and feel his windpipe crush between them.

Crossbones laughed again. "You don't get it, do you, Bucky? She doesn't need saving, she's a weapon, maybe even more so than you!" He looked deviously from Vielka to Bucky. "Actually, how about a little demonstration?"

He walked towards Vielka, before leaning forward and whispering in her ear.

She stood straighter and her lips parted slightly in response to Crossbones words. She blinked, cocking her head to one side before she looked down at Bucky, kneeling before her.

Without hesitation, she strode towards him and Bucky's brow furrowed as he tensed and prepared for her to strike him. She stopped, peering down at Bucky, but there was still no emotion in her eyes, and she gave no clue as to what she was going to do next. He found her lifeless eyes eerie, as she stared down at him for a moment.

She knelt before him, her face still emotionless and Bucky felt the urge to apologise to her. He was so close to her, he could smell her flowery perfume, he just wanted to grab her now and run. He strained against the arms that held him but they didn't budge, pinning his arms tightly behind him.

She smiled at him, her lips curving up into an alluring shape as she tilted her head to one side, as if considering him for a moment.

"Vielka..." he started, hoping if he spoke to her, she might snap out of it. He had barely said her name, when she placed her hands about his face, and he stopped struggling in confusion. He tensed his body, thinking she would try and throw him or cause him some other injury as directed by Crossbones.

He was shocked when she crushed her mouth to his, her soft and warm lips enveloping his. His eyes widened as her perfume swamped him and he felt her fingers brush along his jaw line.

His body tingled from his lips to his toes and he closed his eyes for a split second, unable to resist the overwhelming feeling.

It was fleeting, as he soon came to his senses and he pulled away, ripping his lips from hers and struggling against the hands that held him again. "Vielka! Snap out of it!" he shouted at her, but she just smirked before standing.

Crossbones laughed malevolently, clapping. "See? She's the perfect soldier. God, I'm going to enjoy this."

"I will rip you, limb from limb," Bucky threatened quietly, glaring at Crossbones.

"Oh, there's an idea. Get him to his feet." He motioned to the men holding Bucky and they hoisted him to his feet easily enough. Crossbones stepped behind Vielka and turned to smile at Bucky. "Let him go."

They released Bucky, stepping back and lowering their aim. Bucky looked from Crossbones to Vielka, before glancing around at the soldiers that stood around him. "Well, come on, rip me limb from limb. Don't worry about those guys, they've got their orders."

Bucky glared at Crossbones, before running straight for him. To his surprise, it was Vielka who struck out at him first. She thrust her leg around, attempting to hit him with a round house kick. He slid in time to avoid it, standing upright in time to block a swinging backhand hammer punch from her. There was some great force behind the punch and he wondered exactly how much she had been holding back, all this time.

She tried to punch him again, this time with her left and he caught her arm in the air, thinking to pin her arm behind her, but to his surprise, she dislocated her shoulder, spun around and brought a leg back to sweep his left leg from beneath him. He released her arm immediately, rolling away.

He watched in astonishment as she reset her shoulder, without even flinching.

Crossbones was laughing in the background as she ran at him again, launching a barrage of punches and kicks at him, he managed to block them all, but she was too fast as well as being stronger than he anticipated, he was being backed into a corner.

She managed to slip a knee past his guard, connecting with his ribcage and causing him to fall forward, gasping for air. She grabbed him by his hair with her left hand, hoisting his head up and stared down at him with her lifeless eyes.

"Vielka, come on, wake up," he groaned. She didn't answer him, instead, drawing one of the swords at her back, slowly.

"This is awesome," Crossbones laughed almost hysterically, clapping as he did so.

"Crossbones!" came a shout from a gangway above them. Vielka's head whipped around as Steve, Sam, Wanda, T'Challa, Clint and Scott began to drop from the ceiling. There was rifle fire as Crossbones' soldiers opened fire at Captain Armerica and his team.

Bucky quickly grabbed Vielka's sword with his titanium hand, using his spare arm to throw her to the ground with a sickening thud and causing her to release his hair. He tried to punch down at her with his titanium arm, but she rolled out of the way. She was quickly back to her feet, but now ignored Bucky as she ran to Crossbones.

Bucky realised her orders were specific. She was Crossbones personal bodyguard. That was her new programming.

Bucky struggled from his knees, where Vielka had left him. Natasha suddenly appeared at his side. "Are you okay?" she asked, firing her handgun at a soldier who was running at them. Bucky didn't answer, instead running straight at the soldier, grabbing him with his titanium arm and throwing him angrily at the ground, before grabbing him by the throat and twisting. There was a sickening crack and the soldier lay still. "I'll take that as a no."

"It's the only way, these guys are programmable soldiers," Bucky said, standing up and looking around. "That's what Vielka is, a programmable soldier. She doesn't want to be though."

"We heard," Natasha replied. "We need to reconsider how we are going to deal with this."

"We just need to get her out of here," Bucky replied, looking to where she was now engaging with Steve and T'Challa, defending Crossbones.

Another soldier turned their attention to him and Natasha, but they dispatched of him easily enough together. Bucky hurried over to help Steve and T'Challa, as Vielka fended both of them off easily.

"She's too quick," Steve panted, picking himself up from where she had just kicked him, recalling his shield. Vielka slashed her swords at T'Challa, who was only just able to avoid them, sliding across the floor in his effort. Steve looked around to see Crossbones retreating towards a side door with Red and Viscount Fiori. "He's getting away!"

"I'm on it!" Scott shouted, shrinking and disappearing from view. Bucky tried to tackle and restrain Vielka, but she easily dodged him, moving to bring one of her swords down on him. He quickly brought up his titanium arm to block her strike.

She narrowed her eyes, before they widened and she turned her attention to the door that Crossbones was attempting to exit through. Scott appeared, trying to disable the soldiers that surrounded him, while Sam flew into assist, firing his weapons as he landed.

"Vielka, come on!" Bucky hissed, straining against her strength as she pushed her sword against his titanium arm. She turned her attention back to him, her head tilting slightly, and he thought perhaps she had heard him.

He saw her eyes flash slightly, before she grabbed Bucky's arm that held her sword, easily pulling it back. She then kneed him in the ribs again, causing him to collapse to his knees, and she hammered him with an elbow to the back of his head.

He fell forward, his vision swimming, as he tried to push himself up. He could make out Vielka sprinting towards Crossbones, she slashed her sword at Sam, disconnecting one of his wings from his pack as he tried to fend her away. She grabbed him by his other wing, flinging him away like he was nothing more than a piece of paper, and would have crashed heavily into a nearby wall if it weren't for Wanda catching him using her powers.

He then saw her grab Scott, but he shrank and she stared at her hand that had grabbed him, but before long she was swiping her sword along the ground and Bucky could just make out Scott trying to avoid her strike... then everything went black.

 **oOOo**

Bucky woke to the sound of an aircraft landing and a familiar shuddering. He opened his eyes and found he was lying on the floor of the jet.

He looked around to see Scott was also lying on the floor, he seemed to be unconscious and had a long gash running along one of his arms that Natasha and Clint were working on treating. He looked towards the cockpit and could just make out Steve and T'Challa.

"Welcome back," Sam said, leaning forward from his seat. Bucky looked up at him, he was sporting some grazes and a swollen cheek, but looked relatively alright, although Wanda still fussed over him. She was sporting a few cuts and grazes of her own, but they didn't seem to bother her.

"She got away?" he asked immediately. Sam looked apologetic and nodded. Bucky clenched his fists as he laid there for a moment, looking to the ceiling. He couldn't get past the lifeless look in her eyes.

He pushed himself up carefully, his head still ached from where she had struck him and he held his head for a moment as it throbbed. The back door of the jet slowly opened, and Bucky was quick to help Clint load Scott onto a stretcher and carry him from the jet to the waiting medical team.

Steve moved to stand beside Bucky as they watched the medical team rush Scott away. "You alright, buddy?"

Bucky shook his head. He was still annoyed at Steve for prioritising him over Vielka, but by comparison his annoyance was far overshadowed by his concern for Vielka right now. "We've got to save her."

"To be honest, I'm not sure we can," Steve replied with a sigh, removing his helmet. "She's far stronger than we ever expected."

"That she is," T'Challa said, walking down the loading ramp to join them. Bucky raised his eyebrows when he saw that the Black Panther's armour had been compromised several times, slash marks evident across his arms and upper body.

"You should have told us," Steve said firmly, turning to look at the Wakandan king.

"It was not my place to tell," T'Challa replied, his voice even and calm.

"If you had of told us we could have avoided this whole situation!" Steve exclaimed, his voice becoming aggravated.

"Which situation would that be?" T'Challa asked, moving to stand face to face with Steve. "The situation with stunning resemblance to that of your friend, who was unwillingly being used as an assassin?"

Steve faltered, and Bucky smiled grimly. It was true, Vielka's situation was vastly similar to his own. Perhaps that's why he felt so strongly to save her.

 **oOOo**

"Vielka's story was not mine to tell, and even then, I did not know all the details. Even then, I knew she was a loyal warrior of her own choosing, I did not know how she could be controlled," T'Challa explained, as they stood in the ward of the small hospital wing in the facility they called home. "I knew only that once upon a time, she had been. There were contingency plans in place should she be compromised while within the facility, as there were for Bucky."

Bucky's eyebrows raised in interest at the mention of him, and T'Challa looked apologetically at him for a moment. Doctors and nurses treated their minor wounds, Scott was now awake and lying on his side, listening to T'Challa explain how he had come to find Vielka.

T'Challa pressed his lips into a thin line, before requesting a tablet from the doctor treating him. He obliged, passing him one of the spares that were close by, and T'Challa quickly found the file he was looking for.

He sent it to the main screen in the ward, it appeared to be a file he had compiled during his time searching for Vielka. "I originally sought to recruit Vielka to join my Dora Milaje, but I soon found that she would be of greater benefit if kept as a free standing team member. I heard rumour about a woman that went by the name of Banzai. The rumours said that she had unparalleled skill with a sword, amazing speed and strength far greater than the average human."

T'Challa scrolled through the notes he had written, notes pertaining to different stories he had heard. "In Australia, she was classed as MIA after an ambush in the Middle East, her likeness didn't appear again until at least ten years later, it was recorded that she attacked a group of Boko Haram that tried to kidnap school girls, defending them all."

He found the list of possible locations she had been sighted. "I travelled the globe trying to find her. Africa, Europe, Asia, until I finally found her in a remote area of South America. She was living in a small mountain village and helping the village medicine woman, as well as protecting them from drug cartels who wanted to use them to farm their cocaine farms."

"Crossbones said that SHIELD found them," Bucky murmured thoughtfully. "That Hydra operatives stole them out of there and tried to use them, but she managed to slip them and went on her own."

"Clearly, her resolution was stronger than her programming," T'Challa said, taking note of the brooding super soldier. It seemed he had created a bond with his loyal friend in the short time they had been on operation alone together. "Perhaps we can make that work for us again."

"There's no guarantee it will work," Sam said skeptically, crossing his arms. "They could have altered the new programming to make sure that doesn't happen again."

"Wouldn't they need to test that on her specifically, to see if it worked?" Scott piped up. They fell silent, considering Scott's words. "I mean, really, we don't know how many others have managed to break their programming, but let's assume she's the only one since we've never met others. It's like an electrical circuit, you can't ensure you've fixed the fault unless you run tests. Even if you use another electrical circuit and it works on that one, it doesn't mean that fix will work on the original one."

Clint stood up pointing at Scott. "He's right, they don't even know if they've fixed the program."

"That still doesn't solve how we are going to be able to find them now. They're not going to stay in Italy," Natasha pointed out. They were quiet again.

"We've got to find her," Bucky murmured quietly. He looked at the ground sadly, and T'Challa raised an eyebrow as he stared at the Winter Soldier. The man's body language spoke of his current torment, he had seen her turned. "She doesn't want this, she was terrified. She pleaded for them to stop."

T'Challa glanced around the group. All eyes were staring at Bucky, a look of sympathy in each and every one of them. Eventually, Steve moved to stand beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked at the others. "Let's figure out where they're going and what they're doing."

 **oOOo**

Bucky watched as Natasha scanned through secret government files that T'Challa's best techs had managed to gain access to, they were all lodged paperwork about events that had been dubbed top secret by the government. She was swiping through pages, her lips pursed together as she seemed to become more and more annoyed.

Bucky didn't know how she was managing to read the pages so quickly, and was worried she might be missing something vital, that is, until she froze with her hand poised over the tablet while she furrowed. "What is it?" he asked, looking at the screen.

There on the screen was Red. It was a fuzzy image but it was unmistakable. His blood boiled as he remembered the blood that dripped from her neck as Red had pressed his sword against her.

"It says here that he was a SEAL that went missing in 1997? Looks good for a 50 year old." Bucky pursed his lips, waiting for Natasha to continue. "He started reappearing in 2000. In the Middle East, attacking his own country's units, disappeared again around the same time as Vielka did the first time, reappeared in 2015 in various locations. That doesn't help us at all," she said with a frown.

Clint appeared, reading another file. "None of this is going to help us find out what Crossbones end game is."

T'Challa, who was sat at another desk in the mission room, looked contemplative. "Crossbones has always been about money, correct?"

Natasha and Clint nodded as Steve stood and looked at the board they had put together that featured all the small bits of information they'd managed to glean from their research. He stood before it, staring at it before he spoke again. "Weapons merchant has always been his game. Would he alter from that course?"

They looked around at each other. "Start looking for every big bio lab or weapons development factory within range of a single flight from Italy. That will be the first place he will look."

Bucky racked his brain for a moment before he remembered. "Wait! Austria!"

Natasha looked at him puzzled for a moment then a look of recognition spread across her face. She went through her tablet until she found their intel report. "The assistant, she said they were moving onto Austria. Would they falter from those plans now that they have Vielka, or was it something important?"

"Start looking, what's in Austria?" Steve ordered.

* * *

 **This chapter just glazed over Vielka's back story. I promise, there is a more indepth recount of it later.**

 **I'm even considering writing i'm a prequel to this one later, just to tell how T'Challa finds her and then used her in CA:CW.**

 **See how we go though.**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	8. Chapter 8

**Good morning everyone,**

 **I'm back from our weekend away, not really refreshed but glad to be home.**

 **Exciting chapter ahead!**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 8**

It was dark when they landed on the outskirts of Linz, Austria. They filed off the aircraft, before making their way to the labs that were situated just outside the city limits, it towered over the trees that surrounded it.

"This seems like the closest place with the capability to make the type of weapons Crossbones might like to sell," Steve said as they skirted the fence line. It had taken them three days to figure out what was the most likely target, and although they couldn't pin-point an exact date, they believed Crossbones would be making an appearance here any day now.

They stopped and watched for a while before Bucky noticed something particular that caught his attention. "Where are the security guards?"

They all looked around. There was no one in sight. "They're already here," T'Challa murmured. "We must hurry."

They broke into a run, sprinting across the compound. It wasn't long until rifle fire rung out from the building, cutting through the glass easily. Wanda was quick to raise a red barrier to protect them.

Two men strode out from the building, maintaining their line of fire. "Guys, I can't hold it forever," Wanda groaned with the effort.

"I got this," Sam and Scott said in unison, before Sam took off and Scott disappeared. Within seconds one of the men appeared to be beating himself up, while the other was knocked flying by a swooping Falcon.

The others continued on their way in a hurry. Once inside, they faced further resistance. Bucky and Steve ran for cover in one direction while Natasha, Wanda and Clint ran in the other. T'Challa ran straight through the centre, confident his armour would deflect their bullets. He charged at the small contingent of men and women, beginning to disarm them and giving Steve, Bucky and Clint the opportunity to fire their own weapons at them.

Steve and Bucky charged forward as Sam swooped overhead, also firing into the small group. It took more than a few bullets to take down these soldiers, it seemed. Bucky ducked below a swinging arm of one of the soldiers, using his weapon to block a following jab and then used the butt of his weapon to render his attacker unconscious.

Scott popped up beside him, blocking another soldier that tried to charge from Bucky's unguarded side. He managed to flip him onto his back and dropped a knee across his head, knocking him out. "Thanks," Bucky murmured, continuing to run ahead.

"No problem, piece of cake," Scott replied, before he was tackled by a female soldier who launched herself from the stair case above them. Bucky grabbed her from him with his titanium arm quickly, but she thrashed and kicked out at him, connecting with his ribs and causing him to drop her. She turned to punch him only to be thrown across the room as Captain America's shield collided with her side.

"Thanks," Bucky said in unison with Scott as Steve caught his shield again.

"Don't mention it," he replied, walking past them to look up into the higher levels of the building. "Sam?"

"I'll check it out." He flew up and looked around, but returned soon after. "There's no one up there."

Steve furrowed his brow in concern, as Bucky looked from Steve to T'Challa.

"A facility such as this, producing items that could be used as weaponry would perhaps think it more appropriate to have their labs below ground level," T'Challa reasoned, looking around.

Bucky looked too, spotting a fire exit and running to reef open the door. He found a set of stairs leading down. "This way!"

 **oOOo**

They faced heavy resistance from Crossbones' men, but there was no sign of Vielka, yet. According to Bucky, Crossbones was using Vielka as a personal bodyguard, so she wouldn't be drifting far from him.

When they finally reached the lowest level, Bucky, Steve, Sam, and Natasha were running low on ammo. They stacked up on the door, Scott shrinking and disappearing under the door. "Holy shit..."

"Scott? What is it?" Steve demanded. The door was opened from the other side and Scott stood there, before motioning behind him. They carefully filed in, before they all stood staring at what they were faced with.

Inside the 'lab' was machinery that seemed to be working on a very large suit of armour. It vaguely appeared to be a much larger version of what Crossbones was wearing on their first encounter.

"I reckon this might be a case for false advertising, guys," Scott said. Their eyes scanned the room for any sign of Crossbones or Vielka.

"There," Bucky murmured, motioning towards a gangway over on the furthest wall of the lab, she was standing next to Crossbones, who was talking to the Viscount with Red close by. Steve noted that Crossbones seemed annoyed at the Viscount, by the way he was talking and gesturing.

Within seconds of finally spotting her, they were fired upon as a small group of soldiers spotted them.

They split up, trying to find cover or return fire. Bucky didn't hesitate to try and make his way to Vielka.

"Bucky! Wait!" Steve shouted, noticing his friend charge through the heavy fire. He turned to try and offer him covering fire, but he was soon out of ammo. He threw his shield at a soldier who tried to attack him from the side, catching it again, before running after Bucky.

Bucky was fighting his way towards Vielka, and Steve could see he wasn't going to let anything get in his way. T'Challa was also trying to reach her, or at least he was trying to support Bucky, as he managed to get ahead of the Winter Soldier, before tackling one of Crossbones' men before he could fire upon Bucky.

Steve realised he wouldn't be able to stop Bucky, and looked ahead to see Crossbones starting to look for a way out, as Sam soared through the air, opening fire upon him, Red and the Viscount. Several soldiers moved into protect him, while Vielka's eyes hadn't moved from Bucky.

Steve threw his shield again, stopping two more in their tracks, Bucky hurdling them easily, before skidding to a halt and looking up to the gangway where Vielka stood.

"Corporal! Deal with him!" Crossbones shouted as Red and two others began to try and usher him away to safety. "Destroy him!"

"We mustn't let him get away!" T'Challa implored as he fended off two more soldiers.

"But what about Vielka?" Wanda asked, using her powers to collect parts of machinery and fling them at anyone who tried to get too close to her.

"I'll get Vielka. You guys stop him." Bucky looked to Steve as he slid to a stop beside him. Steve eyed Vielka, who was slowly drawing her swords, before he glanced at Bucky.

He wasn't going to give her up, no matter what he said, Steve could see that now. "Take care."

"You too."

Steve sped after T'Challa and Natasha, who were already in pursuit of Crossbones and Red. Sam, Clint and Wanda close behind him.

 **oOOo**

"You sure you don't want some help," Scott asked, making Bucky jump slightly when he realised Antman was on his shoulder.

"You think you could?" Bucky scoffed, turning his eyes back to Vielka.

Scott was quiet for a moment, before he jumped from Bucky's shoulder and landed on the ground full sized. "Probably not." With that he took off after the others.

Bucky watched as Vielka tilted her head slightly, it was like a cat analysing its prey before it attacked. "Vielka, you know this is not what you want!" he shouted.

She didn't answer him, but jumped from the gangway to the ground, landing in a crouch, her swords held out to her sides as she stared at him again. The same lifeless, golden-brown eyes bore into him as they had at their last encounter.

Bucky remembered what T'Challa had said to him before they had left the facility.

 _"I see you have developed a bond of some kind, it is far stronger than the bond she and I share. It is on a different level. You must use this, if we are correct, it will be enough to trigger her resolution to fight off the programming controlling her."_

He stared at her now, as she stood straight, her eyes focused on one thing. Following her orders. Destroying him. She began striding towards him, spinning her swords like deadly fan that craved for blood.

He ran to meet her attack, and they clashed with a resounding clang as her swords met his titanium arm. She tried to kick out at him but he was prepared for her fighting style now, dodging her powerful leg. She withdrew her swords, before looking to slash them across his right side, he ducked and weaved, blocking with his left arm when he could.

He fended off her attacks, looking for an opportunity to try and pin her, but she was giving none.

"Vielka, you don't have to do this," he said through gritted teeth, as he caught one of her swords in his titanium hand. She tried to slash across him with her other sword but he quickly brought her own sword down to block it, spinning her around and wrapping his arms around her tightly, the hydraulics of his titanium arm working in overdrive to hold her. "You're the same woman who didn't want to kill a bear, Vielka, a bear who wanted to kill you!"

She strained against his arms, before dropping all her weight suddenly. He wasn't prepared for it and she used his imbalance to tip him over her. He loosened his grip slightly as he prepared for impact and she used this to her advantage, elbowing him roughly and slipping out of his grip as he hit the floor, rolling to the side and landing on her feet.

She tried to bring her sword down as she spun around but he was quick to bring his arm up to block it. She tried to bring her other sword across his chest but he struck out at her with a well placed boot.

It connected with her chest and flung her backwards, causing her to slide across the ground. He felt sick the instant he connected with her, but to his astonishment she easily landed on her feet, skidding backwards with the momentum.

She lifted her head to stare at Bucky, who was beginning to breathe heavily, his ribs ached and he racked his brain trying to think of how he could appeal to her conscience.

"Vielka," he said as she ran at him again and he prepared to fight back. "Do you remember what you said to me in the forest when I threatened you?" He ducked her sword again, blocking her second sword before trying to knock the first from her hand, unsuccessfully. "You asked me if the regret would be worth it?" She brought her first sword back down and struck at his leg, slicing across his thigh.

He felt the pain but was quick to take hold of one of her swords with his titanium hand and used his strength to throw her onto the ground roughly. He leapt backwards to avoid another slash of her sword but pain shot through his wounded leg and it buckled.

She flipped to her feet, turning to face him again, head tilting to the side as she analysed his position.

"The regret, it wouldn't have been worth it, and you would feel the same, you know you would," he said, getting back to his feet, feeling the sting from his thigh.

She narrowed her eyes at him, and for a split second he thought he may have gotten through to her, but she charged at him once more with her swords twirling in her hands.

He did his best to block and dodge her attacks, but he was tiring and hindered by his leg injury, her swords catching him on his chest, arm and legs. She hit him with a well aimed kick and he was sent back flying, crashing into a bench before falling to the ground.

He struggled back onto his knees, looking up to see Vielka walking towards him, her lifeless eyes not moving from her target. It was hard looking into her usually sparkling, golden brown eyes, so dulled.

"Vielka," he said, standing again. No matter how many times she hit him, he didn't want to hurt her anymore. Just knowing she was probably hurting on the inside, the real her, was more than enough pain for her. "You need to fight, you beat the program once before, you can do it again."

She tried to bring her sword down on him again, but he caught it in his titanium hand once more, but didn't counter. He buckled under her strength, falling to one knee.

"I'm not going to let you do something you'll regret, Vielka. Just fight it." He looked up into her emotionless face, her eyes boring into his own but there was no sign of life there.

She spun her second sword, ready to drive it through him, and as she moved to thrust it forward he automatically reached out and caught it with his other hand.

He felt agonising pain through his hand, and he could feel the warmth of his own blood as it started to flow freely from his hand, but he maintained his grip on her blade.

"I'm not going to let you hurt yourself anymore, Vielka," Bucky said through gritted teeth, staring straight back into those lifeless eyes.

She pushed with more force, trying to out-strengthen him, but he used all the strength he had left to hold her at bay, although he knew if she didn't stop soon, his strength would start to fail him as he lost more blood.

He shook his head, not taking his eyes from hers. "Don't do this to yourself, Vielka. I won't let you," he murmured, grimacing slightly as the sword slipped slightly through his bloody hand, slicing deeper. "You mean too much, to too many people. You mean too much to me."

He said it out loud before it had even fully comprehended the words in his head. It had rolled off his tongue too easily, surely it was the heat of the moment?

He had no time to contemplate what he had said, as he saw her eye twitch slightly. She then withdrew the sword he held in his right hand, causing him more severe pain as it sliced further as it withdrew. She used it to slash up his torso lightly. He fell backwards, releasing her other sword from his titanium hand.

She stood staring at him again as he clutched at his now bleeding hand but got back onto his knee, trying to stand again. He looked back at her, wondering if the twitch he saw was just his imagination. "Vielka?"

She raised one of her swords in front of her, lowering her head slightly and he prepared himself for her next attack, struggling to his feet, although his right hand was now nearly useless and his torso burned from the long gash she left on him.

She took a step forward, but there was something not quite right about it, it seemed forced to Bucky, not fluid and quick as she had been.

Suddenly, she threw her sword at him, but he quickly brought up his titanium arm and deflected it, causing it to fall to the ground with a clatter. He looked back at her, mildly confused, as he knew that would not be an effective technique and he was sure she would have known that too.

What he was met with stunned him. Vielka was standing there, her other sword still in her hand, but her face was contorting, she appeared to be tormented, her eyes twitching and narrowing. They no longer stared lifelessly at him. He could see light starting to try and make their way back into her golden-brown eyes.

He stood slowly, taking a step towards her. "Vielka?"

She took a step back, but it seemed like she was fighting her own body. Her jaw clenched and she raised her remaining sword, pointing it towards him, but it was shaky at best.

Then she spoke. "Bucky..." He gaped at her for a moment, stunned to hear her voice again. "I'm sorry."

He furrowed his brow in concern, before watching in dismay as she brought her sword up, dropped her head forward and sliced her sword across the back of her neck.

"Vielka, no!" he shouted trying to move towards her, but his injured leg gave way again.

She threw her sword to the side, before reaching back with both hands and grabbing at the back of her neck, as if she was trying to rip something out. "I won't do this anymore!" she screamed, as she ripped something from her neck.

Bucky struggled back to his feet, now pushing through the pain and running to try and stop her. He reached her as she collapsed, catching her in his arms. "Vielka!?" He could feel her blood flowing from the back of her neck, placing his titanium hand over her wound in an effort to try and stop the bleeding.

Her eyes looked blank for a moment before she peered up at him, her breathing ragged and quick, licking her lips and lifting one of her hands. He looked from her face to her hand, and saw she held in her hand some kind of metallic device. It was covered in her blood and the lights were flicking on and off, before they eventually stopped.

He took it from her, looking at it with narrowed eyes, before looking back down at Vielka.

"I'm sorry... Bucky... for giving you...a hard time."

"Don't worry about that," he murmured, trying to check the back of her neck, but her hair was sticking to the blood that flowed freely. "I've got to get you out of here."

She reached out and grabbed at his right hand, causing him to wince slightly. "Thank you."

He pressed his lips together, stopping the urge to say too much while she was in such a state. "You would have done the same for me, Vielka." She tried to smile, but it quickly turned into a grimace. He noticed she was starting to fade into unconsciousness. "Hey, stay with me. We've got to get you to the jet." She tried to keep her eyes open but she struggled.

Bucky cursed under his breath, lifting her into his arms, beginning to move carefully back the way they had entered. "If anyone can hear me right now," he murmured through gritted teeth as he fought his own pain. "I've got her, but we need to get her medical care ASAP."

"We're on our way back, we lost Crossbones," Steve's voice responded. "But we managed to get the Viscount, he's in a bad way too."

Bucky clenched his jaw. How he would have liked to have had a moment with that bastard, just a minute would have been enough.

* * *

 **NNNGGHHHHH**

 **I can't even...**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	9. Chapter 9

**GASP! What? Two chapters in one day?**

 **I just loved this sequence of events and conversations so much, I felt like I couldn't wait to upload them.**

 **Plus you guys deserved the treat for being so patient.**

 **Now, you'll remember a couple of chapters ago i mentioned how I couldn't get the dates to marry up. Well, this is where it becomes obvious. So let's just assume this sequence of events happened like 20-30 years from now. Although lets be honest, with the kind of tech in these stories, it may as well be!**

 **Alright, no more chapters this week.**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 9**

So many faces flashed past. Bloodied faces. Men, women...children.

Then there was the feeling, the feeling of her whole body being invaded. The feeling of her body no longer being her own. Seeing what her body was doing, but being unable to stop it.

Worse still, there was seeing her body attacking her friends. Slashing through T'Challa's armour, cutting through Sam's wing and throwing him to the wall, slashing into Scott's arm and knocking him out, pinning poor Wanda to a wall with one hand, it all made her hurt more and more.

Kissing Bucky, that had hurt the most, more than anything else. She wasn't sure why that hurt so much. She didn't hate him, so that wasn't it. She remembered Crossbones whispering the order in her ear, she remembered internally she was losing it, angry, so very angry. Much as she try, she couldn't stop herself. In the darkness of her own mind, she might have wept if she could.

Bucky... she watched him take the blade with his right hand, the one that wasn't made of titanium, the one that was his own flesh and blood. She saw the blood begin to flow, she could even smell it. It had been too much for her to bear.

She had even heard him appealing to her. He had begged her to stop for her own well-being. He had begged her to stop for those that cared for her, he had asked her to stop because he cared for her.

She still remembered his blood flowing along her blade. And she remembered the pain as she fought the program. It had tried to stop her, to override her neurological pathways. She was stronger.

Her head hurt, her whole body hurt. It was one of the side effects, even though she physically acted like nothing hurt her, her consciousness that was buried within still felt pain. With every strike she made on someone, it grew.

She knew the only way she would ever escape the program was to finally remove the device from her spinal column, at the base of her brain. She also knew, that she was risking causing long term damage to her body, even death.

She also knew that she would rather death over hurting her friends anymore.

 **oOOo**

She opened her eyes slowly, her room was dark, only one light shone overhead, but she could hear a faint beeping and knew she was in the medical ward.

She glanced around as her eyes quickly adjusted, she couldn't see anyone in the room with her, she sighed, bracing herself for what she was about to do next, fearing the worst.

She tried to wiggle her fingers. To her surprise, they moved, the sound of the cables attached to the monitor making a soft 'chink' as it hit the side of the bed frame. She felt a wave of relief wash over her as she gripped at the sheets and mattress under her, but it was short lived as she moved onto her next order of business.

Her toes. She concentrated, gulping, before attempting to move them, she concentrated and moved them. She felt the sheets brush over her bare toes and nearly wept with happiness at the feeling.

She gingerly pushed herself up, careful not to extend her neck too far forwards or back, well aware of the stinging pain there. Her muscles still felt the fatigue from being controlled by the program, but she managed to put herself into an upright position. Her ears still rung, another side effect from the program.

Her mouth was dry and she looked to the bedside table for water, seeing a glass and pitcher there waiting, before reaching for it. Her body was so stiff, it was a real effort.

She was just about to give up when someone grabbed the pitcher and poured water into the glass. It was T'Challa.

"Corporal."

She smiled weakly, before leaning back into the bed, accepting the glass of water and sipping it carefully. It was ridiculously refreshing.

"Please don't ever call me that again," she said finally, sighing.

She saw T'Challa raise his eyebrows before he gave her a small smile, taking the glass from her. "I am glad you are back."

Vielka bit her lip. She wondered how true that was. "How many did I hurt?"

T'Challa frowned, narrowing his eyes. "This is not significant at this time."

Vielka narrowed her eyes back at the Wakandan king, as he sat carefully on the side of the bed. "This is very significant right now."

He considered her for a moment before he spoke again. "None of us suffered long term injury at your hand, Vielka." She felt relief at that, closing her eyes for a moment, but she peered at T'Challa. "We do not know about what happened while you were under Crossbones control while we were trying to find you."

She looked down at her hands, biting her lip. She wanted to search her memory and see if she could remember what she did while under their control, but she was honestly too fearful of what she may see.

She felt T'Challa shift on her bed and he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It was not your fault."

She grit her teeth. It was her fault. She should never have left the jungles. It was better for everyone.

She moved to get out of bed, but T'Challa stood to stop her. "I would not advise that, you have been in bed for quite a time and the doctors say you will need physiotherapy to be able to return to your full manoeuvrability."

Vielka furrowed her brow. "How long have I been out of it?" she demanded.

"Two weeks." She gaped at T'Challa in disbelief. "The first few days, the doctors induced a coma, wanting to ensure you ripping the device from your spinal column did not damage your nerves or chord."

She stared ahead of her for a moment, frowning, before she looked back at T'Challa. "What happened to Crossbones and the Viscount?

"Crossbones escaped, along with the Major," T'Challa answered regrettably, and Vielka immediately felt rage boil within her. "The Viscount, we caught, although he was severely injured at Red's hand."

She narrowed her eyes at T'Challa as she took in that information. Why would Red turn on the Viscount? He must have fulfilled his usefulness. "Where is he?"

T'Challa looked at her warily before answering. "I do not think it wise to disclose that information," he replied, the faintest of smirks appearing on his face, and Vielka felt the urge to grab the Wakandan royal by the scruff of his shirt, but quashed the urge.

Vielka sat quietly in her hospital bed, it had been several hours since her visit from T'Challa and since then Sam, Wanda, Natasha, Clint and Scott had all paid her a visit. She had offered her apologies profusely, but none had blamed her, all relieved that she was back to being under her own influence now.

And even though they all swore they didn't hold it against her, she doubted they would ever be able to forget. She doubted they could ever fully trust her again.

The safest place for her and everyone around her was not here. She considered what to do. Bucky had taken himself to the deepest part of a forest in Romania, in an effort to avoid civilisation. She herself had travelled to many a remote location, and usually she was fine until she tried to help someone.

She cursed her impulses, she couldn't ever just walk away if someone needed help. Perhaps it was time she learnt to.

She looked around, listening to see if she could hear any of the doctors or nurses' footsteps. When she was certain all was still, she began to pull the tubes from her arms.

 **oOOo**

Bucky sat at the breakfast bar, a coffee cup in front of him as he fidgeted with the bandage around his right hand. It had taken thirty stitches to close up his hand, but he didn't care. She was back. That was all that mattered.

He was worried about her, it had been a fortnight since they had returned from Austria, and eight days since they had taken her from her induced coma, but still she had not roused. He knew from talking to the doctors that having ripped the device from her spinal column meant she was at high risk of never walking again. They didn't explain why she had not yet woken though. More to the point, they couldn't explain, her brain function was high and her body was supporting itself.

He pushed stray hairs from his face, sighing as he finished off the dregs of his coffee.

"Buck," came Steve's voice from the entrance to the living area. Bucky looked back and gave him a small smile, but Steve's brow furrowed in concern. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Bucky replied, leaning back in his chair. Steve looked at him pointedly before sitting next to him. "It's Vielka, she's still out. I'm worried that maybe the program was too much for her and did permanent damage."

"I doubt it, she's strong," Steve said with the slightest of smirks on his face. "Besides, I don't think you're telling me what's really up?"

Bucky pursed his lips together. Steve was right, what was really on his mind was far more complex and varied.

First of all, he was still very tempted to head into the hospital room where they were holding the Viscount and treating his wounds to beat him to within an inch of his life every time he thought of Vielka lying bloodied and limp in his arms.

Secondly, his mind lingered on his words when he appealed to her to fight the programming controlling her. 'You mean too much to me'

They had rolled off his tongue so easily, and he wasn't sure what had made him say it. He barely knew anything about the Australian woman, apart from her being an enhanced soldier, like himself and Steve, with a wickedly sharp tongue and a lot of dark secrets that she didn't really want to share.

Yet, she did mean a lot to him. She was the only other person that understood what he had been through. Natasha, also had an inkling, but it wasn't in the same way as he or Vielka. Hers was brainwashing, theirs was programming and control.

"T'Challa told me you two developed a bond while on recon," Steve said finally, breaking the silence. Bucky scoffed, leaning forward and fidgeting with his now empty cup, but didn't say anything. He wasn't sure what was happening. "James Buchanan, the womaniser..."

Bucky shook his head, laughing lightly when Steve brought up their younger days. "Yeah... not my proudest moment."

"All those girls, with the cute giggles and hair flicks," Steve teased, mimicking the movements. Bucky groaned and leaned back in his chair, covering his hands over his face as he laughed.

He looked back at Steve, narrowing his eyes. "Now hang on, a lot of those girls I was trying to get for you, too." They laughed heartily together, recalling a few of Bucky's conquests, before quietening again.

Steve broke the silence again. "And now we find you slain by an Australian with a quick wit, sharp tongue and one heck of a roundhouse."

Bucky furrowed his brow, staring straight ahead. "I don't know about that. I don't think I'm capable of that anymore."

Steve raised his eyebrows and looked at Bucky incredulously, before pressing his lips into a thin line and looking sympathetically at him. He sighed and got to his feet. "Well, you can figure that out later." He grabbed Bucky about the shoulders and squeezed. "She's awake, we should go and say hi." He strode quickly towards the exit, while Bucky turned and stared at him in confusion.

"Wait...what?"

"She woke up nearly three hours ago, everyone else has already been in to see her," Steve answered, before smirking.

"You bastard," Bucky muttered, hurrying to run after him as he took off down the corridor.

 **oOOo**

Bucky walked beside Steve as they entered the ward, looking to the nurse's station for approval to go into Vielka's room. Steve stopped to speak to one of the doctors about her condition while Bucky went on ahead.

His heart was racing as he skulked towards her room. It was odd, but he was worried about how she would react to seeing him. He knew from first-hand experience, seeing victims could be a daunting experience.

He also wondered how much from her time under she would remember. His own thoughts flashed back to watching her placed under control, to her first orders from Crossbones. His lips tingled at the memory of her soft lips capturing his own.

He let the memory of her kissing him slip from his mind as he came to her door.

He stepped inside and froze. Vielka was not on her bed and her bathroom door was open with the light off. His brow knitted together and he looked closer, spotting blood on the floor.

He hurried toward the bed when he saw the blood trailed to the other side of the bed. When he followed it around and to the wall by the bed, he found Vielka, leaning limply against the wall.

"Hey!" he exclaimed loudly, making her jump. He rushed forward, checking her over straight away. "Vielka, what happened?" he asked, as she looked up at him meekly.

There was evidence of blood on her wrists where she had pulled the tubes out and a small amount had soaked into her gown from her neck, but it wasn't anything serious. Vielka looked down at her legs, grimacing as she tried to move them underneath her to stand. They didn't move quite right and she collapsed slightly as she tried to put weight on her legs, straight into his arms.

Steve came charging into the room in a panic, obviously hearing Bucky's earlier shout. "Bucky?"

"Get a doctor," Bucky called back, as he scooped Vielka into his arms, lifting her easily and gently placing her back onto her bed carefully. He checked her wrists again, she had already stopped the bleeding herself it seemed.

He leant against the bed and peered into her face, but she avoided looking at him, curling her legs up. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

She bit her lip, reaching down to touch her toes, she squeezed one, as if analysing it. She furrowed her brow before staring into space. "I tried to leave."

He furrowed his brows, looking down at her sadly. He could see the agony she was in now, it was as he feared. The guilt was eating away at her already. "Vielka..."

"I wanted to leave, to keep everyone safe. My legs, they can't take my weight."

"You've been off them for a long time, there's probably muscle wastage," he explained, but he could see she wasn't listening.

"People got hurt, because of me."

"People got hurt because of Crossbones," Bucky said firmly, leaning forward and forcing her to look at him. "None of this, was your fault."

She leaned back as he stared into her eyes, searching for acknowledgment. She blinked and gave a small nod, as the doctor hurried in. Bucky took a step back, taking a breath as Steve strode in and looked between Bucky and Vielka, before a nurse pushed her way past them, pulling the curtain closed around the bed.

"What happened?" he murmured.

"She tried to leave," Bucky replied, running his hand through his hair before folding his arms across his chest. "She didn't want anyone else to get hurt, because of her, but her legs gave out and wouldn't take her weight."

Steve shook his head slowly. "The guilt was bound to happen, but we'll take care of her," he murmured. He grabbed Bucky by the shoulder, reassuringly and squeezed. "We'll take care of her."

 **oOOo**

Vielka saw Bucky hovering close by the curtain around her bed, as the doctor finished restitching her popped stitches and the nurse helped her into a clean gown. She was annoyed at having her attempt at leaving thwarted by her own body, and she was more annoyed now that she knew that Bucky wouldn't be letting her out of his sight. That much was obvious.

"Vielka, you're going to have to start seeing the physiotherapist regularly, so we can get your legs strong again," the doctor said, pulling the curtain back, as Bucky and Steve both moved forward to listen to him. "You are going to make a full recovery though, no doubt about it. You are very lucky when you pulled the device from your neck that it didn't cause permanent damage."

She felt her insides twist as she remembered her last actions before she lost consciousness. The fighting inside her own body to regain control. And the pain as she slashed open her own neck with her sword..

She shuddered as the doctor excused himself from the room, the nurse close behind him. Steve and Bucky both moved to stand beside her bed.

"So, Bucky tells me you were trying to do a runner."

She furrowed her brow, but said nothing, instead carefully sliding her legs under the blankets of her bed. Of course, Bucky would tell his best buddy, Steve. The ancient fossils.

Steve sighed. "I just want you to know, Vielka, no one blames you. There's only two people who are at fault. The one who originally did this to you, and Crossbones. The doctor already got his just desserts, but we are going to make sure Crossbones gets his."

She grit her teeth, but still didn't look at Steve. She couldn't bring herself to, she could remember the flash and sparks as her swords clashed with his shield.

He patted Bucky on the shoulder before leaving the room. Vielka sighed, blinking back her tears as more memories came through her head. She winced and rubbed her eyes, wishing that she could rub away the memories too.

"It doesn't help," Bucky murmured, moving to stand closer to her. She glanced sideways at him, feeling the urge to glare at him, but at that moment she couldn't seem to get control of her own emotions. "You can't rub the memories away like that."

"You think I don't know that?" she hissed in reply, glaring at him. He looked apologetic as she looked away, regretting looking at him almost immediately.

More memories, these ones far more painful. Watching him plead with her as she tried to run her blade through him, seeing his blood seep across her blade as he stopped her sword, slashing him along his torso and then, that kiss.

She grimaced, trying to think of anything else but that.

"How did you get past them last time?" he asked suddenly.

She balked and looked up at him in confusion. "Huh?"

"The last time you managed to free yourself from programming, how did you get past the onslaught of memories?" It wasn't the question he asked that stunned her, but the way he asked it. He spoke with the tone of a man who wanted to know for his own well-being, for future reference.

Her gaze softened then and she looked at her hands, before sighing and answering. "Last time, I didn't know the people I was hurting."

She saw Bucky stiffen next to her, and she gave a grim smile. It was the truth, she recalled the last time she freed herself. While it was painful to see the many faces of her victims, it was nothing on seeing herself attack her friends.

"Well, they can't control you anymore," he said finally, and she pressed her lips together. "Since you ripped that thing off."

She looked at him sideways and a thought struck her. "Whatever happened to it?"

"T'Challa took it and he and his scientists are looking into it."

"Why?"

Bucky shrugged. She huffed. Of course, he was a grunt, he didn't ask for more than he needed to know. She would have to ask T'Challa herself when she saw him next.

She felt Bucky sit on the side of her bed, turning her attention back to him. "You're not going to try and runaway again, are you?"

She screwed up her face at him in annoyance. "I can't walk, what do you think?" she bit back.

"You could crawl," he answered lightly." Vielka stared at him for a moment in disbelief, unsure of what exactly had gotten into the man. Then she saw his lip twitch, he was trying not to laugh.

"If you keep that up, I just might," she replied rolling her eyes, although it took a lot of effort not to smile. He finally laughed, lifting his hand to run it through his hair.

That's when the bandage on his hand caught her eye and she stiffened, remembering the blood as he held her blade again. She suddenly felt very nauseous.

He must have noticed because he quickly lowered his hand, looking straight at her. "It's fine." She scowled and turned her body slightly so she now had her back facing him, feeling sceptical. "You need to stop beating yourself up over this."

Easy for him to say, she thought.

She mentally faltered. No, it wasn't easy for him to say that. He couldn't say things like that lightly, he would have had to move past something much the same. Possibly even every night that she had spent trying to rouse him from his night terrors.

She sighed and straightened again, stretching her legs out and feeling the tight muscles complain about the tension. She glanced up at Bucky who was looking down at her sympathetically.

She thought carefully of her words before she spoke again. "After the Sokovian Accords saga, when they captured you and brought you in, Zemo triggered you, right?" His face darkened slightly but he nodded, his eyes never leaving her. "You attacked Steve, among others, but, did you know it was him?"

She saw Bucky swallow, and he looked down at his titanium hand, before clenching it into a fist. "At the time, no, my mind goes completely blank except for my one objective." She watched his face as he recalled the last time he had been triggered, seeing the torment he felt about it. "It's after when I realise what's happened, what I've done and who I have or could have hurt, that's when the guilt starts and slowly, bits and pieces come back."

His face looked distraught, pain showing in his eyes as they narrowed and he scowled slightly. She bit her lip, regretting having asked the question. She leaned forward and took the hand closest to her, his left hand, ignoring the coldness of his metal fingers, and squeezed it as she peered into his face apologetically. "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

Bucky gave her a weak smile before placing his right hand over hers. "It's okay, it feels surprisingly good to talk about it, with you."

 **oOOo**

He felt mild disappointment as she took her hand back from him, her cheeks appearing to have picked up a pink tinge to them.

He was glad to see that she felt a little better about herself, though. She no longer appeared despondent, and seemed to have relaxed around him a little more.

"How bad was the damage on your hand?" she asked then. He pursed his lips slightly, not sure he wanted to tell her, but when he looked at her she seemed like it was more a matter of conversation than her own guilt that brought her to ask the question.

"Well, it's not the worst injury I've ever had," he replied, after considering how best to answer her. She furrowed her brow at him in confusion and he motioned to his titanium arm, earning him a deadpan look in return. He gave a chuckle before answering properly. "Thirty odd stitches."

He watched as she pressed her lips into a thin line, frowning and he looked at her pointedly. "And I don't regret it, Vielka."

She looked ashamed but took a deep breath and sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. When she reopened her golden-brown eyes, she was looking at him gratefully. "Thank you, Bucky."

He raised his eyebrows slightly, before he smirked at her smugly. "Sorry, what?"

She looked at him through narrowed eyes, with their colour making her look very animalistic. "You heard me," she said warningly and he laughed, while he could tell she did her best not to.

"Don't mention it." He looked down at her as she struggled to adjust her position slightly to sit up straighter. When she did, her gown slipped down slightly and he could clearly see the scar that wound around her neck.

She must have noticed his gaze because she also looked down, touching her neck with her fingers.

"It's where the doctor did his finest work." He looked into her golden-brown eyes in surprise as she licked her lips slightly before she looked away. "When the IED went off, I was knocked out, when I came to, there was rifle fire from all directions. Most of my crew were either injured, dying or fighting. I had been in the gun ring, so I copped the brunt of the shrapnel from the blast, especially since the Bushmasters we ran were designed to deflect the blast outwards."

"It deflected the blast into you?" he asked, intrigued with her story. When he had served, the equipment they had used was basic at best until he had joined up with Steve's special unit, so the newer equipment used by the world's military was completely different and somewhat fascinating to him.

He was also fascinated to be hearing her talk about her time before she came to be enhanced. As far as he knew, no one knew about her past, apart from vague stories and rumours.

She fidgeted with the blanket across her and nodded. "I still managed to pick up a rifle and try to defend our position, but eventually they managed to get in and subdue us." She took a sharp intake of breath and he saw her jaw clench. "That's when the doctor came in. He would take his pick of the wounded, after a battle report from Red. 'Pick of the litter' he would say, when he found the troops he wanted to keep. The rest were 'discarded' with."

Bucky felt himself getting angry, thinking about all those troops being killed for some twisted ideology from a demented doctor. He looked at Vielka, her eyes had a glassy appearance to them, but she continued.

"I still remember what he said when he saw me, 'She's going to be my prize catch.' In the middle of the desert and he used a fucking fishing analogy," she hissed bitterly. Bucky clenched his jaw, he could see the pain and anger on her face, and although he wanted to hear more, he didn't want to put her through more pain.

"Vielka, you don't need to tell me anymore," he murmured, trying to keep a calm voice, even though he felt like beating the hell out of something.

She gave a little laugh, smirking at him. "What, you're not getting squeamish now, are you? After all this time of being curious about my scar, now you get squeamish?"

Bucky's eyes widened and he felt somewhat ashamed of himself, but defended himself. "I just don't want you to remember something painful."

She smiled gratefully at him. "Well, thanks, but like you said, it feels good to actually talk about it."

He gave her a small smile and nodded for her to continue, glad that she was opening up to him.

"Red and his men took only a couple of my crew back with them, including me, and the doctor would patch us up first, see if we would survive. If we did, that's when he would decide what he would do with us."

She lifted her head back slightly and pulled her gown down to show the extent of the scarring on her neck. He saw it extended down to below her collar bone.

"He decided he wanted to give me the works. He reinforced my bones with titanium alloy throughout most of my body, he infused my blood with some chemical to help my body start to heal itself the moment a breach is made, he also gave me increased speed, flexibility and strength through a serum, which I think, was loosely based off the one used on Steve and yourself."

Bucky narrowed his eyes at her, trying to make calculations in his head. Something didn't sit right. "How old are you, Vielka?"

She raised an eyebrow and looked at him smugly. "I know you've been out of the loop awhile, Bucky, but I'm pretty sure back in your day asking a lady her age was deemed inappropriate."

He flicked her a mischievous look, knowing full well she was trying to have a dig at his age. "It's a good thing there aren't any ladies here then," he replied smugly.

Her jaw dropped and she gaped at him while he did his best not to laugh. She quickly pursed her lips, narrowing her eyes at him before she answered. "If you really must know, I was 20 when I joined the military."

He frowned slightly. That hadn't really answered his question and he tried to calculate how old she could have been.

When he looked back to her, she was smirking. "So, you're, what, 20?" he asked. She didn't look older than 25 at most, perhaps, but surely there was no way she was still 20. Even he knew that you needed at least a year of training to become special forces in any country.

She laughed loudly before cringing and reaching for the back of her neck. "Oh, ow, don't make me laugh like that." Bucky frowned. She calmed and answered him finally. "When I 'died' I was 30 years old."

He pursed his lips, as she reclined back into the bed, seemingly far more relaxed than before, as she stretched her legs, slightly cringing. He felt her leg brush against him under the blankets and moved to stand up but she held her hand up, motioning for him to relax.

"In case you hadn't figured it out yet, that would technically make me about 50 now," she said matter-of-factly.

Bucky furrowed his brow and looked her over. She hadn't aged a day past 30, although to him she looked closer to 20. She smirked at him as his eyes met her golden-brown ones, a hint of mischief there. "It's the Asian in me, it makes me look much younger than 30," she explained, apparently reading his mind. "I can't imagine you met many Asians before the war."

He raised his eyebrows and was contemplative for a moment. He couldn't say he had met any Asian women before or during the war. He had worked alongside a man of Asian descent when he was in Steve's team, but he barely remembered him. "No, can't say I have."

She smiled and winked. "We're a hot commodity these days, perhaps I'll have to educate you, one day."

* * *

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	10. Chapter 10

**I love Mondays! Yes I truly do, means I get a couple of hours to myself after a weekend of people hahaha.**

 **So, there are plans in the works, but I will explain them at the end of this chapter...**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 10**

They sat talking about the comparisons of their times for so long, that they were both surprised when the ward staff came to do observations on Vielka and give her dinner.

"Oh," Bucky said in mild surprise, as they both looked over as the nurses and doctor entered.

"Sorry to disturb," the doctor said smiling. Both the doctor and nurse glanced between them and Bucky felt his cheeks flush slightly when he saw them smirk.

"No problem, I should probably be going," he said, moving from the bed. He looked to Vielka and thought he saw a fleeting look of disappointment, but then her face was emotionless and he thought perhaps he had imagined it.

The nurse glanced from Vielka to Bucky before speaking quickly. "You can come back after dinner, if you like," she said with a smile. The doctor looked up at her with a puzzled expression but then quickly agreed.

"Yes, absolutely. Can't hurt."

Vielka looked amused but looked to Bucky expectantly. He gave a small smile. "Sure, if you want me to."

She shrugged. "I've got nothing better to do." He laughed and left.

He had barely reached the end of the corridor when he heard someone call him. "Sgt Barnes!" He turned in surprise at hearing himself addressed so formally, to see the nurse hurrying towards him.

He immediately looked at her gravely, fearing the worst. "What is it?"

"Relax, nothing's wrong," she answered breathlessly. "I wanted to make sure you would come back."

Bucky looked at her in bewilderment at her straightforward question. "Uhh..."

"Look, she's been awake a while, the whole time she was just depressed and she hadn't eaten all day." Bucky raised his eyebrows, considering having words with her about that, he was well aware of her normally considerable appetite. "She just devoured her dinner, and actually asked for dessert."

Bucky was confused. "Then why do you want me to come back after?"

The nurse stared at him incredulously for a moment. "It's because of you! Everyone else came and visited her and she just seemed to get more and more depressed. Since you've visited her, she's actually talking to us and responding to our questions."

Bucky felt his chest constrict slightly and suddenly felt a little self conscious at the fact the nurses and doctors had been watching them. "Oh, well, I'll be sure to come back in a little while then."

With that, he turned on his heel and returned to the living area, lost in his own thoughts now, where he found the others eating dinner.

"Well, look who emerges," Steve said with a sly grin, spotting him first. Bucky rolled his eyes in response and took the plate offered to him by Sam, beginning to devour it quickly.

"Gees, I knew I was a good cook, but ddaamnnn..." Sam said, impressed by how quick Bucky was eating.

"I don't think that even touched the sides," Steve joked.

"How is she?" Natasha asked, making everyone at the table quiet. Bucky swallowed and looked around the table to find everyone looking expectant and serious.

"She's good, she's talking, she's eating. She just needs to work her legs to get their strength back," he replied, and smiled when everyone around the table seemed relieved. It was clear how important she was to the people around him.

"Well, that's good, she seemed so gloomy and depressed when I visited her this morning," Wanda said quietly, as she pushed her plate away.

"The nurses want me to go back to see her again tonight, I'm going to take her some dessert," he said, polishing off the last little bit of food on his plate.

"Wait, the nurses asked for you, specifically?" Clint asked, a small grin starting to grace his face. Bucky nodded, leaning back in his seat. "Really?" Clint raised his eyebrows and glanced at Natasha, who glared at him pointedly.

"Oh, can you give her something from me?" Wanda asked, ignoring Clint's teasing. Bucky nodded and she quickly ran out of the living area.

"We've got some chocolate in the fridge, if you want to take that to her," Natasha offered, to which Bucky nodded and she began collecting plates as she headed back to the kitchen.

Steve looked sideways at him, before leaning forward, catching Bucky's attention. "So what happened?" he murmured quietly.

"We just talked," Bucky answered truthfully, although he didn't elaborate. He wasn't sure she would want anyone knowing what she had told him. Steve peered at Bucky curiously for a moment, as if he was sceptical. Finally, he smiled, patting Bucky on the shoulder. "Keep an eye on her, yeah?"

Bucky nodded as Natasha and Wanda both returned, Natasha toting a few chocolate bars and Wanda, a teddy.

Bucky eyed the teddy for a moment, glancing sideways at Steve who pressed his lips together in an effort not to laugh. "What?" Wanda demanded.

"Uh...Vielka doesn't exactly come across as a teddy kind of person, that's all," Sam explained, glancing around the table at the others as if to see if they were all thinking along the same lines, they all nodded.

"So?" Natasha said defensively, tapping Clint on the back of the head as he sniggered. "It's the thought that counts, and I'm going to laugh so hard at you guys if she is a teddy person." Wanda rolled her eyes at the boys and handed the bear over while Natasha handed the chocolate bars to Bucky. "Those ones are her favourites." He nodded gratefully, before leaving for the hospital ward.

 **oOOo**

Vielka lay on her side in the bed, facing the door. It was an old habit, always sleeping facing an entry or exit point. She'd maintained it since recruit training back home, where the corporals used to enter in the early hours and drag them out for a 3am session of battle PT.

As she thought of those battle PT sessions, she began to recall other memories of her time at recruits, like the horrible food, and the fact that she and her room mates, for quite some time, lived on starburst lollies and coke to give them the energy they needed to get through the day.

Or that time they were made to stand in the middle of a field for a whole minute, holding two fully loaded rifles out straight at shoulder height, because one of her course mates had left the rifle further than arm's distance away from them. The 'corrective training' drill had popped her shoulder, and even now she could still pop it out.

She then recalled the day she left for recruits, her mother and stepfather had been there to see her off. She remembered her stepfather beaming at her, the only time she recalled seeing him look at her like that. Her mother had cried, claiming that because her biggest baby was leaving it was something special and she was allowed to cry when had Vielka teased her. She swore she would make Vielka pay when she got home, and she had, with a huge party and a slide show of embarrassing baby photos.

Home. The place she once called home, wasn't anymore. She had never been game enough to return home to Australia. She was listed as MIA - believed dead. She didn't want to give her family the heartache of knowing the truth.

She had done some research one day, after a few years of being her own person again.

Her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer, but fought and won.

Her sister joined the navy, of all things, but her brother had joined the Air Force, which was far worse. She could just imagine the family dinners, jabs left, right and centre about who the superior service was. Add to the mix their stepdad who was old school navy, it would have been non-stop fun.

Her stepfather was still in the navy, it seemed, although from what she could tell, her disappearance hit him the hardest. He had never been keen on her joining the army, let alone hearing she had received a recommendation to try out for Special Forces when women were allowed combat roles.

She sighed and rolled onto her back out of habit, but winced, instantly regretting it as pain shot up through her neck. She rolled back to her side to see Bucky leaning against the doorway.

She instantly smiled, but was quick to subdue it, instead busying herself to try and sit herself up.

Bucky hurried to help her, putting what he carried on the chair positioned by her bed. He went to grab her closest arm, lifting her easily.

"Thank you," she said with a sigh, once she was up, moving her legs to a comfortable position.

"The girls gave me some presents for you," he said, grabbing the things from the chair. He held them out to her and she instantly grinned, taking the teddy first.

It was soft and fluffy in her hands, with a bright yellow ribbon around its neck. "It's so cute." She looked back to Bucky to see a shocked look on his face. "What?"

He pressed his lips together with a pained expression on his face. "Nothing." She furrowed her brow in confusion and he burst out laughing. "We just never thought you'd be a teddy person."

She looked dully at him for a moment before rolling her eyes and placing the bear in the bed next to her, looking at him pointedly.

He finally stopped laughing before handing her something else. She looked down and grinned. Good old Nat. She nestled back into her pillows and ripped open one of the chocolate bars as Bucky settled himself carefully on the side of the bed, a smile on his face. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged. "The same as two hours ago, I guess," she replied, licking her fingers before offering a piece of chocolate to Bucky. He shook his head but she looked at him pointedly. "Chocolate gives you pimples, Bucky, help a girl out."

He gave a little laugh before sighing and taking the piece she held out to him. "You seem to be feeling better," he said and popped the piece into his mouth.

She shrugged again, she felt the same as she had before he left, so she wasn't sure exactly what he meant. "How's everyone else?"

"Shit stirring," he murmured, rolling his eyes. She looked at him in amusement, but he shook his head and she didn't press the question. She knew what they were like anyway, and that's why she liked them. That's why she was glad that she didn't kill any of them.

She went quiet, thinking about it, wondering what might have happened if she had.

"Hey," Bucky's rough voice cut through her thoughts and she looked up expectantly. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?" she asked in confusion.

"Dwelling on it." She bit her lip and looked at her hands. "You've got to stop doing that to yourself. It's just going to make you miserable."

"Wouldn't be any less than I deserve," she muttered sullenly. She felt her eyes starting to heat at the corners, it was an odd sensation and not one that she was used to, as the many faces of her torment flashed through her memory, once again.

She closed her eyes for a moment, sighing heavily, feeling extremely overcome by emotion suddenly. She put a hand to her face, feeling moisture there and she was confused for a moment.

It was then that she felt Bucky shift on the bed, and felt him pull her hands away from her face, he pulled her forward carefully before wrapping his arms around her.

She was stunned for a moment, opening her eyes only to be met with his wide chest, but as his familiar, musky scent washed over her and his strong arms enveloped her, she felt herself lose all control of her emotions and began to sob.

While all her pent up distress and torment flowed freely from her now, she could not help but feel strangely safe in Bucky's arms, as one of his hands began to stroke her back softly. And that just made her sob harder, for so long had it been that she had experienced such a feeling. She gripped at Bucky's shirt, crying like she hadn't in a very long time.

 **oOOo**

Bucky woke with a start, confused by his surroundings initially. He looked around to see a nurse peering down at him, but she motioned for him to be quiet before pointing down at his arm.

He looked down to see Vielka, fast asleep in the crook of his right shoulder, her hand resting on his chest. He looked up at the nurse expectantly and she motioned with silent hand gestures that she just wanted to take Vielka's observations, to which he nodded and laid still, glancing to the window and noting the first signs of sunrise were beginning to show.

Once she was finished, she nodded to him and gave him a warm smile, before leaving.

Bucky looked down at the woman that laid beside him, recalling how they had ended up in this position. She had finally broken under the weight of her tormented past, and he had immediately comforted her. He hadn't hesitated at all, it had been an automatic reaction to seeing her crumble under the weight of her emotions.

She had cried for so long, and all he could do was hold her, unsure of what to say, but felt that holding her was right and noted it hadn't felt uncomfortable in anyway.

She stirred slightly, causing a lock of her hair to fall across her face, and she snuggled closer into his chest. He felt his cheeks heat slightly, as her body pressed closer into his own. He reached across with his left hand, carefully pushing her stray hairs from her face, making sure not to touch her skin with his titanium fingers.

She looked so peaceful as she slept, there was no pain on her face, none of the serious expression she usually held throughout the day. Her skin looked smooth without so much as a scar, even though he knew she often took a serious beating in a fight.

He found it odd, they had known each other for barely 6 months, 5 of those months they had barely shared a conversation but he found he was most comfortable with her. He could relate to her and, he guessed, she felt the same. He also felt incredibly protective of her, and he found that the oddest of all, especially considering how hostile she acted towards him in the beginning.

The only other person in his life that he had ever felt protective of was Steve, and that was long before Steve had undergone enhancement.

He smirked, thinking of Steve's jabs at him in the kitchen the previous day. As he became contemplative, remembering all the girls he wooed in his younger days, and without realising, he moved his arm to hold her closer to him.

He felt her tense in his arm and jump slightly, looking around in bewilderment. She gaped when she realised where she was. "Oh..."

"Morning," he murmured, smiling apologetically.

Her cheeks began to redden and she looked away bashfully. "Hi." She sat up carefully, allowing him to move his arm, sitting sideways so she faced him. "Sorry about that."

"It's fine," he replied, watching as she pushed all her hair to rest on one shoulder. "I'm just glad you got some sleep."

She bit her lip and looked embarrassed. "Did you?"

He smiled at her. "Yeah, I did actually." And it was surprisingly restful. He hadn't a night terror or dream at all, which was unusual, to say the least, for him.

"That's good." She sounded relieved and sighed, she looked out the window and frowned. "How long were we asleep?"

"A good 10 hours," the doctor said as he and the nurses came in, one of the nurses carrying a tray of food. Bucky sat up and stood from the bed, moving to help Vielka sit back, although she protested. "And today the physio will be visiting you, so it's a good thing you got some good rest."

"Heh, you'd think I got more than enough while I was unconscious," she muttered and Bucky couldn't help but grin.

"I better be going," he said, as the doctor checked her stitches before he would let her eat.

"Hey, could you possibly ask Nat to get me some real clothes from my room, please?" Vielka asked, her voice slightly muffled from the angle of her head.

"Sure, just take it easy today," he said, before smiling warmly at her and leaving.

He found Natasha talking to T'Challa outside the living area.

"Hey, where have you been?" Natasha asked seeing him enter the corridor they were standing in. She cocked her head to the side. "You haven't been with Vielka this whole time, have you?"

"She was wondering if you could bring her some normal clothes, she's seeing the physio today," he said, ignoring her question, but noting the sly expression on her face.

"Yeah, of course, T'Challa and I were just discussing her," she replied, motioning to the Wakandan king.

Bucky looked to T'Challa expectantly. "More so the device than her, exactly. We believe we can reverse engineer the device to track the other soldiers," he explained. Bucky frowned, unsure what he was getting at.

"If we track the soldiers, we find Red and if we find Red..." Natasha explained more plainly.

"We find Crossbones," Bucky finished. He clenched his fists, just the name of the fiend angering him. "How long will it take?"

"It may take some time," T'Challa admitted bitterly. "However, the scientists believe the device may hold information about what it is Crossbones plans on doing too, we already know it involves a weaponized suit of some sort."

"So they want to extract the information before they start destroying it to reverse engineer it," Natasha finished explaining for him.

"Besides," T'Challa said, a slight grin appearing on his face. "I don't think Vielka would want to miss it."

Bucky grinned too, he was inclined to agree with the Wakandan. As he thought of Vielka and how certain he was that she would want to take vengeance on Crossbones and Red, he had an idea. "Wait, I think I might know someone who could help."

 **oOOo**

Vielka let the physiotherapist wheel her to the gym, although she spent most of the ride with her face covered. It was bad enough not to be able to walk, but to be forced into a wheel chair and pushed through the facility just made her want to murder.

She curbed that thought quickly and sighed in relief when she found the gym was empty.

"Ok, Vielka, we are going to go over here and see if we can get you to start getting your body used to bearing your weight," she said, lining the wheel chair up with a set of horizontal rails that were at waist height.

She reached forward and worked to lift herself up, but struggled. Even her arms were needing to get used to taking her weight again.

The physio, a small woman by the name of Elise, moved forward to help her, putting her arms beneath Vielka's arms and hoisted her upwards. Vielka grabbed the rails and locked her elbows, not giving her arms the opportunity to buckle under the weight of her body.

It was hard work, holding her weight up, the whole measly 80 odd kilos of her, but she was hell bent on getting back to independence quickly.

"Okay, put your feet flat to the floor, and straighten your legs, but make sure you hold on."

Vielka slowly did as she was instructed, concentrating hard on moving her feet into position, before beginning to try and straighten her legs.

"Tuck that butt," Elise said with a bit of a grin, as she watched on carefully, slipping between Vielka and the wheelchair.

Vielka bit her lip, concentrating on trying to get her legs to straighten properly, until she finally felt her knees lock out.

She sighed in relief as she held herself there, her arms beginning to shake from holding all her weight for the first time in a long two and a bit weeks and she was already to break out in a sweat from the effort, but she was happy that she could at least achieve this much.

"Alright, let's get you down to rest, before we try again." Elise moved her wheelchair behind her again and helped Vielka ease herself back down. "How did that feel?"

"So good," Vielka answered breathlessly, taking the bottle of water Elise offered her.

"That's great, I think you're going to make this really easy on both of us because you seem to have a really good mindset, but it's not going to be fast, it's going to be slow."

"We'll see," Vielka murmured, before taking a mouthful of water. She wasn't sure Elise knew the full story on her.

 **oOOo**

After three sessions with Elise over the last three days, Vielka was starting to get frustrated. She felt she was ready to progress, but Elise was insistent on taking it slow.

As she sat in her room, listening to the mindless drone of the television she made up her mind to take herself to the gym. She needed to do something. She buzzed for a nurse, who hurried in.

"What's up, Vielka?" she asked pleasantly.

"Could I get a wheelchair? I'd like to get out for a roll," she said, grinning at her own joke.

The nurse laughed lightly. "I don't see why not. Would be good for you," she said and disappeared out the door, returning with the chair for her.

Vielka slid from the bed with a little help from the nurse, although she took most of her own weight on her legs, which she felt pretty chuffed about.

"All set?" the nurse asked, handing her a water bottle from her bed side. Vielka nodded once. "Alright, off you go! Be back before dinner though, or I'll have his majesty send the Dora after you."

Vielka scoffed at the nurse's empty threat. Most of the Dora Milaje were no fans of Vielka. Most of the wives-in-training and personal bodyguard unit of the Wakandan Royal, thought of her as a threat to their positions, each vying for the affections of T'Challa, although he had already disclosed to Vielka that he had no intention of marrying any of them.

While they clearly had no understanding of the relationship between T'Challa and her, she recognised that at least one of them, Okoye, did not feel as strongly against her as the others, and Vielka had always suspected it was because she didn't join the Dora for the same reason as the others. For this reason, Vielka had far more respect for her than any of the others, and Okoye had proven on more than one occasion that she felt the same towards Vielka.

She also knew that they knew, they would never stand a chance against her in a fight, this proven when she first arrived in Wakanda to take her place beside the Black Panther. There was a reason she was chosen to stand by his side when he went into battle as the Black Panther and not them.

She wheeled herself towards the gym, her arms had definitely regained some of their strength and she appreciated the feeling of exercising them currently. So much so, she pushed herself to go faster, seeing how fast she could actually go.

As she rolled into the gym, she was glad to see she was on her own. The good thing about being here in the middle of the day was that most of the personnel within the facility were busy working, so she could work out in privacy.

She wheeled herself over to the rails and set the brakes on her wheel chair before hoisting herself up by her arms, carefully manoeuvring herself to the edge of her wheelchair before putting her feet to the ground and carefully starting to bear weight on them.

She managed to stand for long enough to reach out and grab a rail with one hand, but when she moved to place her other hand, her arm gave way slightly and she fell, her legs unable to maintain the balance and weight. She caught herself by way of the rail under her right arm, hissing with pain as the metal bar bit into the tender skin under her arm.

She shuffled herself back up to be holding the bars by her hands again, ignoring the pain. She placed her feet under her again, beginning to take the weight. She straightened her legs, being sure to tuck with her glutes to ensure her balance.

As her knees straightened and locked out, she took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she wanted to try next. Elise had not been willing to let her try and stand unsupported yet, citing that she was not strong enough to catch all of Vielka's weight on her own and she wasn't confident Vielka would be able to hold all her own weight on her legs yet.

Vielka's opinion was she wouldn't know unless she tried.

She began to put all her weight to her legs, releasing the rails from her hands. Her legs protested somewhat, to suddenly bearing so much weight, but she grit her teeth and continued to stand, lifting her hands away from the rails completely.

She felt her stomach leap, as her body stayed upright, unable to stop herself from smiling.

She placed her hands back on the rail, easing her weight off her legs and stretching them out without the weight for a moment. She thought to perhaps put herself back to her chair to rest properly, but then, taking it easy was never in her nature.

She placed her feet underneath her again, beginning to take the weight from her arms. Once she had removed her hands from the rails, her legs taking all the weight and maintaining her balance, she took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself for what she wanted to try next. She concentrated solely on her balance, ignoring anything and everything else, gritting her teeth as she tried to lift one foot, willing herself to place it in front of the other.

She shifted her right foot slightly, the heel beginning to rise from the ground, but the extra weight on her left leg was too much.

Her leg buckled and she began to fall to the ground, throwing her arms out in a bid to catch herself on a rail.

Before she could hit the ground, or even catch herself on a rail as she had before, strong arms captured her from behind, a familiar, musky scent washing over her as she closed her eyes in relief.

 **oOOo**

"Bucky," she said without even looking back. He smiled slightly, carefully moving backwards to put her back into the wheel chair that was positioned next to the rails.

"What are you doing?" he demanded, looking around to see if he could see her physio anywhere.

"What did it look like? I'm trying to get walking again," she replied, sounding slightly annoyed at his question.

"Looked more like you were falling to me," he said smugly, earning him a glare as he knelt down beside the chair. "But what I meant was why are you doing that without your physio or doctor nearby?"

She rolled her eyes. "It's taking too long," she murmured, looking away from him. He was slightly confused and his face must have shown that, because when she glanced back at him, she rolled her eyes. "They're trying to take it too slow. I'm not just your average human anymore, you know. I can move faster than this."

He could tell by the way she spoke, she was growing frustrated. He could understand why too, to suddenly go from finding everything easy, to finding almost everything difficult.

She scratched the side of her face and sighed. "I suppose you're going to make me go back to the ward?"

He was thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I suppose I could interrupt my own work out to help you," he said slowly. Her brow furrowed as she looked up at him before her face broke into a grin, her pretty Asian features accentuating. "Come on." He held out his hands to her, which she was quick to take, shuffling herself forward in the wheel chair slightly.

When she was ready he hoisted her to her feet, she was wobbly but quickly took her balance with his help.

"Alright, what now?" he asked, still holding her hands in front of her.

"I'm going to try and take a step," she said. He admired her confidence, but prepared himself to catch her again.

He held her hands up in front of him, so that if her legs buckled, she would have further to fall and more time for him to catch her. He watched as she concentrated and strained to lift her right foot. Her heel lifted, and he felt her squeeze the fingers of his right hand, as she clenched her jaw and her whole foot raised from the ground. She moved it forward a couple of millimetres before trying to place it down, but her left leg gave out as it had the first time.

She began to fall forward, but he was quick to catch her, his arms slipping around her mid section and holding her up. He heard her groan and glanced down to find her grimacing.

He lowered her the rest of the way to the floor. "You okay?" he asked, as she pulled herself away from his chest. He began looking her over quickly. He noticed a bruise was forming under her right arm, he hadn't noticed it before.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she muttered sullenly, frowning slightly. "I was so close."

He gave her a sympathetic smile, before sitting on the floor in front of her. "You'll get there."

"Oh, I know I will, I'm just impatient, I guess," she replied with a sigh. "I suppose I should go back to the hospital ward. I've got nothing else I can do."

He raised an eyebrow and was thoughtful as she glanced back hesitantly at the wheel chair. "Well, that's not entirely true," he replied, calling her attention back to him. Her golden-brown coloured eyes looked at him with mild confusion. "I mean, you'd have to be careful, but I'm sure there's still a way you can work out the rest of your body."

She sat up a bit straighter, looking thoughtful. "That is true."

"And, I'll be here to make sure you don't get carried away," he said pointedly, making her purse her lips before she grinned.

"Not even a little?"

He rolled his eyes before standing up. "Come on, up you get."

* * *

 **Ok,**

 **So here's the deal...**

 **Because I've become inspired once again, I've decided to do a prequel for this, and I've already started on it. However, the way my brain works, things are changing what I've already written, so, you'll probably find me updating chapters of this story as I upload chapters of the prequel.**

 **I'm going to apologise for that now.**

 **So, if you're interested in reading a prequel, you'll have to follow me as an author to be notified when the prequel is added in the coming days/weeks.**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	11. Chapter 11

**I am silently fuming here right now. Stupid website logged me in after I had already done a full editing sweep on this chapter, so now all the changes I made are gone...ARGH!**

 **Hopefully I can remember all the changes i made and its as awesome as it was before.**

 **I'm going to go and be cranky as soon as I get through all of this.**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 11**

Vielka sat on the side of her bed as the doctors and physio consulted on the other side of the curtain. She was now able to walk, albeit she couldn't walk for long periods yet. Since that day in the gym with Bucky a week and a half ago, she had been to the gym every day, working with first just Bucky, and then Steve and Sam joined them when they found out she was working hard at her recovery.

Elise, the physio, hadn't been too pleased when she found out, but when she saw Bucky and also saw what they were doing in the gym, she had found it very hard to say no, bearing witness to the vast improvement to Vielka's strength and endurance.

Now, she just waited for the okay to return to her own living quarters, and to start retraining with weapons. T'Challa had told her they were close to figuring out where Crossbones was hiding and what he was planning, she wasn't going to miss out on all the fun.

The doctor and physio entered, followed by T'Challa, who she hadn't realised was a part of the conversation. He smiled at her when she looked at him in confusion.

"Well, we've discussed it, and we think we should be able to arrange a decent management plan," the doctor said, smiling.

Vielka couldn't stop the grin that crossed her face, and looked to Elise. "You're already doing excellent work in the gym, I'll just join you for an hour each day to work on improving your leg strength and hopefully get you running again soon."

"And what are you here for?" Vielka asked looking at T'Challa with a raised eyebrow.

"Is it not alright for me to have an invested interest in a loyal friend?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "I was pressured to advocate for you on behalf of the team. Plus, I figured you would need help carrying all these gifts you've received over the last few weeks.

She gave a little laugh, looking around. Her room was now full of teddies, flowers, balloons and books. "Fair enough."

It took her another two weeks before her body was back to being fit enough to train properly. Elise was happy to allow her to start weapons training again, but stressed they needed to meet each other at least once a fortnight for her to ensure that her progress wasn't being hindered by any underlying injuries.

She picked up her two faithful swords, they hadn't been touched in so long, when she looked at the blade, she cringed. She was going to have to visit the workshops and borrow the wet sharpener.

She dressed in her familiar black bodysuit, the tight, figure-hugging outfit offering her great comfort, before grabbing her gear and heading out the door.

She hadn't even made it halfway to the workshops when she came across T'Challa heading in the opposite direction, dressed in his Black Panther armoured suit, with a long black bag in his hand.

"Ah, just the lady I was looking for," he said, smiling warmly at her. She looked behind her before looking back at him in mock confusion. He gave a small laugh before motioning for her to follow him. "It will only take a moment," he added, glancing at her swords in her hand.

"I was just going to sharpen them, they can wait."

"Those swords, I know you take great care of them, how did you come about them?" he asked curiously, as he led her towards the gym, she noted.

She faltered slightly, biting her lip. The thought occurred to her without warning and she found herself clenching her jaw. "From HIM," she muttered coldly. She glanced sideways to see T'Challa looking at her expectantly. "The doctor."

"I suspected as much," he replied, frowning slightly as he looked ahead, before speaking again. "Why do you care so much for them if they offer a link to an unhappy history?"

She was thoughtful, wondering the same thing. She answered slowly as she considered it herself. "Although they were from him, when I trained, it was the one time I felt like I might have had a minuet amount of control, they've been my comfort and safety as well."

"Hmm, but still, aren't they a reminder of a past you would much rather forget?"

"They're more like a reminder of a past which I do not want to allow myself to live again."

He frowned slightly, seemingly unsure by her explanation, as they finally arrived at the gym. "Well, perhaps you need to consider a fresh start."

He stopped before the door to the virtual training area, before holding out the long, black bag. She stared at him for a moment, frowning. T'Challa had long ago learnt that Vielka was not one to take gifts of the expensive kind from him, so for him to be handing her the bag, she was suspicious of his motives. He motioned for her to take it, which she did, carefully.

She could feel the two, long, familiar shapes of two sheathed swords within the bag, opening it to peer inside. She reached in, wrapping her hand around the end of one and hearing a low pitched beep.

She raised an eyebrow, before pulling it out, it was all black, but for a small symbol in Chinese at the bottom, which she instantly recognised as the Japanese symbol for 'Banzai'.

She noted a green light flashed at the base of the handle, along with several tiny buttons. "What's this?"

"We've been developing it for some time, trying to perfect a technology to advance the abilities of the sword." He motioned to take it and she handed it to him, instantly noticing when his hand touched it, the light turned red.

He tried to remove the sheath, but he couldn't. She raised both her eyebrows and gave a small smile. "That's brilliant."

"We thought so, it's got fingerprint recognition as well as DNA recognition, but also, this next part is quite dangerous," he entered the virtual training room with the sword and pressed some buttons on the robot control console inside the door. One of the robots appeared from the ceiling, dropping into a ready stance in the middle of the room.

T'Challa held the sword out to the robot, which it took, just holding it, the light on the base red. He then motioned for her to give him the other sword, which she obliged, increasingly curious of what would happen next.

He held it up to her and motioned to one of the buttons. "Press this one and see what happens."

She took the sword from him and waited for the light to switch to green again, before pressing the button.

The sword the robot was holding expelled four long and sharp blades from the handle, slicing open the robots metal hand easily, causing the sword to drop to the ground.

"Whoa..."

T'Challa smiled proudly. "I thought you'd like that."

She nodded slowly with wide eyes, before looking back to T'Challa. "But what about the blade? These little gimmicks are great, but if the blade isn't up to standard, then it's pointless."

He winked at her, motioning for her to remove the sheath, which she did. The blade shone under the lights of the room, and the blade appeared sharp.

"We called upon one of the best and last sword smiths in Japan, Korehira Watan to try his hand folding Vibranium. He complained a lot of it, but he managed it and said it would always be one of his finest works, but would never work with Vibranium again," he explained with a chuckle.

He motioned for her to try it out. She stepped forward, swinging the sword. It was lighter than her previous, but she doubted it could be as strong as they made out Vibranium to be, if it was this light.

She looked to the robot that stood still in the middle of the room. She frowned and shrugged, before running forward, leaping and bringing the sword down. The robot split in half cleanly, the sword catching on nothing, leaving a precise split throughout the robot.

She analysed the sword's blade, not a chip, scratch or dent. She nodded, impressed, before looking down to check the robot. A clean slice.

"What do you think?" T'Challa asked finally, bending down to inspect it himself.

She pursed her lips thoughtfully, before smiling. "I think I'm going to like new beginnings."

 **oOOo**

Vielka's rehab was coming along nicely. So nicely, that she was training in the virtual training room again, although she was hesitant to train with anyone else just yet.

Bucky had watched her a couple of times, her movements were becoming smooth and fast once again, and she was beginning to display great agility once more.

Her physio was finally happy with her progress, now leaving her to train at her own pace. It had been two months since the incident in Austria, but it seemed she had finally clawed back her strength, and she seemed much happier now.

As he watched her, he couldn't help but be slightly envious. She was free from ever being put under someone else's control again. She would never have to unwillingly follow orders again. It was something he hoped he might be able to achieve one day, proper freedom.

He was roused from his own thoughts by T'Challa. "She fights differently now," he said, watching her as she brought the sword down on the last of the robots in the room.

"She does?" Bucky asked, not taking his eyes off her. He hadn't really noticed, but as he watched her more he did notice her movements seemed much more precise, much more fluid. It was more like she was dancing than she was fighting. "Oh, she does, doesn't she?"

"Yes, she fights like someone who has had a weight lifted from their shoulders," T'Challa replied, glancing sideways.

Bucky furrowed his brow, he felt like T'Challa was trying to make some unspoken point, like he always did. "Perhaps."

"Perhaps it is prudent of us to test her skills?" T'Challa offered, motioning to the door. Bucky finally looked at T'Challa and realised he was wearing his Black Panther armoured suit.

"Both of us? Hardly seems fair, she's only been cleared to full training a few weeks ago."

T'Challa was contemplative for a moment. "This is true, then perhaps you?"

"Me? Why me?"

"Why not?"

Bucky bit his lip, there was one thing that had him concerned, aside from possibly hurting her when he wasn't sure she was fully fit. "If I'm honest, those new swords worry me."

T'Challa raised an eyebrow and glanced back to the window as Vielka began to twirl her swords playfully. "They are very nice, aren't they?" T'Challa replied, smiling proudly. Bucky gave a small laugh. "Unarmed combat then, anything to test her agility and reflexes. Come!"

He walked to the training room door, entering without letting Vielka know.

 **oOOo**

She spun around in surprise when the training room door opened, T'Challa walking in followed by Bucky.

"Hi guys," she greeted them, sliding her swords into their sheaths at her back. "I'm finished here if you needed the room."

"You seem to have returned to good form," T'Challa said, smiling at her.

She returned the smile, nodding her head once to the Wakandan king. "Why, thank you, I feel really good with where I am, considering where I was a few weeks ago. I could still do with some improvement though."

She smiled again, glancing at Bucky. She raised her eyebrows slightly and turned to leave.

"One moment, I thought perhaps it might be a good time to test you, see how far along you've come with your recovery," T'Challa said.

Vielka stopped and looked from Bucky to T'Challa. She couldn't help but smirk a little, that's why Bucky looked anxious. "Both of you?" she asked in surprise. "Hardly seems fair."

"That's what I said," Bucky muttered, seemingly annoyed with T'Challa.

"We already know I can kick both your asses on your own, what's two going to test?" she added, smugly.

Bucky's jaw dropped slightly, while T'Challa grinned. "Ah, but you were armed last time. I don't think we can measure your recovery as well if you're armed. So it would be only one of us."

Her confidence wained slightly, at the mention of being unarmed. She looked between the two of them, Bucky had his eyes narrowed at her, obviously not taking her jab at their last fight too well.

She weighed up her options. T'Challa was not enhanced, although his armour was powered in a way and that could make it seem like he was enhanced. It still wasn't a fair fight between them really, if she hit the suit in the right way, she knew she could cause it to malfunction.

Bucky on the other hand, was enhanced, and had the added bonus of having a nearly indestructible arm. It offered more of a challenge to her. His speed was on par with her own, if not a little slower. No doubt the weight of his titanium arm having something to do with that. He was stronger than her, especially with that arm, but her gut instinct was telling her Bucky would be way more fun to fight.

"Think you can actually fight without holding back?" she asked with narrowed eyes, looking at Bucky.

He straightened and puffed out his chest slightly. "Only if you think you can handle it, you've only just recovered."

"Now you're just making excuses. Scared or something?" she smirked, pulling her swords from where they clipped into the back of her bodysuit.

He looked at her with a dead pan expression as she handed the swords to T'Challa, who turned and headed for the door.

Vielka stretched her arms a little, she was actually glad to have some hand to hand. It had been awhile, so to get someone to spar with, without swords, was a good chance to get the cobwebs out, even if Bucky didn't put his all in. While she waited for Bucky to set himself, she made a mental note to put in some practice at the range as well.

She was so focused on what weapons she would train with at the range, she wasn't prepared for Bucky to come charging at her. He led with his right, aiming a jab at her head which she only just dodged, before swinging with his left. She ducked underneath it, before spinning away, looking at him incredulously. "What?" he asked, standing in a ready stance.

"A little warning would have been nice."

"Oh, sorry, I take it anyone whose going to attack you is going to do that too?"

She rolled her eyes and he lunged for her again, punching first with his left then his right again, which she dodged easily once more, before she aimed a punch of her own with her right. He turned his body slightly and her punched glanced off his titanium arm, but she was quick to recover, grabbing his shoulder with the same hand and bringing her knee up into his ribs.

However, he managed to get his right hand up, batting away her knee before bringing his left elbow down. It caught her arm, and threw her slightly off balance. He took advantage, throwing another punch with his right, which forced her back slightly.

He moved to kick out at her, but she read his move, as she managed to regain her balance, batting away his foot and hitting him with her own back spinning round house kick.

He was thrown back, only just managing to land on his feet, but she gave him no chance to catch his breath, running forward and aiming to kick at his chest.

She connected and he was thrown back. She landed and looked down at him, seeing him looking slightly bewildered, a smirk on her face as she turned away.

She was caught by surprise when he was quickly back on his feet and ran at her. He grabbed her from behind, flinging her over his shoulder, although she landed on her feet, he followed with a kick that landed on her chest. She was thrown backwards heavily.

"That was dirty," she muttered, getting back up.

He smirked but made ready again, giving her a coy smile. She raised an eyebrow, before lunging forward again. She faked to kick at his side, before switching quickly and hitting him square in the chest with a knee, but he caught her. "Not today," he said, and moved to pin her.

He moved her to the ground, trying to maintain his grip on her bent knee, but she was able to get her free leg onto the ground, arching her back and forcing him to roll so he was now the one pinned to ground, although he still held her knee pinned.

She began aiming punches for his ribs, still pushing pressure down on her free leg to stop him from rolling her back under him.

He tightened his grip on her knee and she hissed, his titanium arm was working its magic and if she wasn't careful she would need to tap soon. Finally, she calculated a new plan, planting her free foot onto the ground and kicking off hard, tucking herself into a ball and using her leg strength to flip Bucky over her.

His surprise at her move was enough to get him to loosen his grip and she kicked out with that leg now, connecting with his chest as they both rolled backwards, only she was able to stop herself.

She stood up, smiling smugly, as he untangled himself from the stack of mats he had crashed into.

 **oOOo**

He had been close to beating her, and he knew it, as he stood up, feeling that last kick still in his chest. She ran at him again, this time with a flurry of punches and kicks, which he either blocked or dodged.

She tried to roundhouse him again, but he saw it coming this time, catching her mid kick and shoving her backwards. This time, she crashed into a set of stacked mats.

"Ow!" she said as she untangled herself. He felt a pang of regret, but was careful not to let it show. She looked at him with narrowed eyes, pushing a stray hair from her face. She was angry now.

Again, she launched a barrage of punches and kicks at him, and it was as if her speed had reached a new setting he hadn't experienced before. While he was able to block or dodge most, she was finding the smallest gaps in his guard and using them.

She connected with his left cheek, before he caught an attempted uppercut, holding her right hand in his left. She tried to kick, but he caught her leg too. He was ready to finish their fight this time. He shoved her back, and while she tried regain her balance quickly, he charged at her.

As she turned to face him, he crash tackled her, both of them sliding across the floor before they crashed into the furthest wall of the training room.

He was winded as he lie on the floor, she had braced herself when he tackled her, and it had knocked the breath from his lungs as he hit her. He looked down to see she had landed on top of him when they'd skitted across the floor.

She was breathing heavily as she tried to push herself up, placing one hand on his chest as did. It was tender and he hissed from the pain, catching her attention.

When she looked up at him, he saw that she had a cut lip and a few minor scratches on her face, but was relieved when she smiled coyly at him.

"Sorry," she said, rolling off of him, and pushing herself up into a sitting position. She touched at her lip, pulling a face when she realised it was bleeding, while he forced himself to sit up. He'd landed heavily on his back at some point and it smarted a little.

"Are you okay?" he asked. While he hadn't exactly held back while they fought, he still didn't feel good for smashing her as hard as he had.

She sat up a little straighter, seeming to test out her body, grimacing slightly, and he inwardly cringed. To his astonishment, she smiled.

"Never felt better."

She jumped to her feet, before offering him a hand up. He couldn't help but be impressed, as he took her hand and stood. He winced slightly, his chest letting him know that it wasn't so impressed. He bent down slightly, giving himself a moment to adjust to the pain.

She put a hand on his shoulder, concern written all over her face. "Are you okay?"

"What is it with you and pummelling my chest?" he asked, standing up straight again and looking at her in amusement.

Her cheeks went slightly pink and she shrugged. "It's a big target?" she offered innocently with a shrug of her shoulders.

He rolled his eyes and made his way to the training room door, opening it and standing back to let her through. "Thank you," she murmured.

Once outside, they found the rest of the team had gathered, and a medic. T'Challa nodded to the medic to check them over.

"This really isn't necessary," Vielka moaned, her words distorted as the medic checked over her lips and teeth. She glanced sideways at Bucky. "At least not for me, anyway."

Bucky narrowed his eyes at her and looked towards Steve, Sam and Scott. Steve was handing $10 to Scott as was Sam. "Really? You bet against me?"

Steve shrugged, looking ashamed, if not slightly amused.

 **oOOo**

Vielka was feeling slightly worse for wear from the fight with Bucky. There was no way she was calling that a sparring match. She was going to have bruises on top of bruises from that one.

He surprised her. He hadn't held back as much in that match, although she sensed that there was no way he would ever put his all into a fight against any of them, unless he was triggered.

"I am glad to see you are back in good form, Vielka." T'Challa approached her and she noted he appeared quite grim. "You're going to need it."

"You've found them?" Steve asked, moving to stand beside Vielka.

"And more, I'll meet you all in the mission room in an hour." He turned to Vielka. "Go and get cleaned up, both of you."

She hurriedly did so, showering and changing into sweats, thinking about what she would soon be facing.

As she stood in front of her mirror, brushing out her hair and checking over her wounds, she began to contemplate the impending events. She wasn't sure who she wanted to take out more, Red or Crossbones.

Whatever the case, she would make sure one or both would pay.

Within an hour they were all standing and waiting anxiously inside the mission room, awaiting T'Challa. Vielka stood a short distance away from the others, deep in thought.

She stared off into space, thinking of what may soon happen. She never thought the day would come that she would be able to face up to Red. He was a twisted individual and strong, he had always been stronger than her, often beating her to within an inch of her life during the early days of being under the 'doctors' control.

She clenched her jaw slightly, feeling the rage build within her as she remembered those many beatings she endured at his hands.

"Hey." She jerked her head up in alarm, having been so lost in her own thoughts and memories she hadn't noticed Bucky move to stand next to her. He peered down at her with raised eyebrows and she calmed herself, exhaling a deep breath. "You alright? You sure I didn't hit you too hard earlier?"

It seemed he mistook her anxiousness for pain. She gave a little laugh. "Oh, please, just because you're built like a brick shit house, don't think you can hurt me that easily."

He looked at her with a puzzled expression and she realised her Australian colloquialisms may have just gone straight over his head. "I'm fine," she said with a sigh and shaking her head.

T'Challa strode in, immediately activating the screen at the front of the room. A map appeared, with several red dots that pinged at different intervals. "What is that?" Vielka asked, as they all began to move closer.

"That, is all the controlled soldiers."

There had to be at least 30 of them. She frowned, she didn't remember there ever being that many of them in Afghanistan. And if she wasn't mistaken, Bucky and the others had already dispatched of several others.

"The Viscount had also reverse engineered the device and made more. The problem now, is that Crossbones has the ability to create more as well," T'Challa explained, apparently having read the confused look on Vielka's face. "By the time we get to him, this number may have doubled."

"This doesn't make sense though, Crossbones isn't about armies or wars, he's about money," Clint said, looking from T'Challa to Natasha.

"There's got to be another reason behind this," Natasha agreed.

"Whatever the case," Vielka interjected. "We need to stop him, and Red."

 **oOOo**

Bucky looked sideways at Vielka. He could see she was tense, her jaw pulled tightly and her eyes were dull.

T'Challa looked at her carefully, before switching the display on the screen. "I dug up as much information about these super soldiers as possible. If I'm not mistaken we can temporarily disable them by EMP, allowing us to slip in more easily."

"Could come in handy when we come up against Red too," Scott commented as he rubbed his hands together.

Vielka stood up suddenly, walking to T'Challa and putting her hand out. He looked perturbed for a moment but handed her the tablet. Bucky watched as she expertly tapped at the screen on the tablet a few times. She brought up a website, before tapping the screen a few more times and after it rebuked her efforts to enter a few times, it finally let her in.

On the screen was Red's old military personnel file, he was dressed in ceremonial attire in his picture, a serious look on his face. Bucky instantly bristled seeing his face.

"Red, formerly known as George Redman, Navy Seal, specialising in hand to hand, covert insertion and infiltration." She swiped at the screen a few times before bringing up what appeared to be a conduct record. Bucky tried to read it as she swiped through it and he noticed there seemed to be a few reports of misconduct. "He was tried several times for disobeying direct orders or operating outside orders as well as being renowned for threatening civilians while on OPS."

Everyone looked at her in confusion, unsure of the relevance of her point. She returned the screen to his picture. "Red is not operating under Crossbones control. The Major has always been a willing participant. He believed in the 'doctor's' ideology of the perfect world and perfect army." She handed the tablet back to T'Challa. "He now works for money, but I'm sure if the opportunity ever arose and he found someone who had the same belief on how to solve the world's problem, he would be quick to pledge his allegiance."

"So he's just a demented bastard then?" Scott asked blatantly.

Vielka didn't look at him as she answered, looking up at Red's picture instead. "More or less. EMP won't disable him though. His device has long been inactive."

Bucky recalled when he had first come face to face with Red at the pool party, when he captured Vielka. She had triggered her EMP, but he had been able to move about as if nothing had happened. She was right. There would be no slowing him down.

"There is one other person who can help us plan how best to attack," T'Challa said, he motioned to the door as it opened from the outside.

Bucky smiled when he saw a short, familiar woman step inside.

"Gaia!" Vielka exclaimed, running to quickly gather the older woman in a quick hug. Bucky found that odd, he had never seen Vielka show any real bond of that extreme with anyone yet. It was nice. "What are you doing here?"

"You should thank Bucky," T'Challa answered for Gaia, who seemed a little overwhelmed with emotion. "He remembered Gaia seemed to know a lot about your situation and suggested we get her in to help us reverse engineer the device."

Vielka looked to Bucky, giving him a grateful smile. He felt as if his chest tightened strangely, at the smile she gave him, and he faltered slightly before returning it.

T'Challa turned to the others. "Gaia was at one time, a tech at SHIELD. She was taken into custody by Hydra when they infiltrated, using her to make them many of their advanced technology. If it weren't for Vielka, who happened to slip out of their control when they ordered her to dispose of Gaia, she may well not be here today."

"My girl, you're free!" Gaia said, hugging her again.

Bucky looked to the pair again, it was heart warming to see them happily hugging, both of them free women.

"So what's the plan?" Steve asked, looking around. They all set forward, beginning to offer up ideas as to how to take out the soldiers and reach Crossbones.

 **oOOo**

It was long after dark when they finally finished for the day. Vielka didn't love the plan, they were vastly outnumbered but she knew they needed to do something. She trailed behind the others as they headed to the living area, murmuring quietly amongst each other.

She stopped, thoughtful for a moment, before she turned and headed in a different direction. She headed towards the gym, but continued through once she reached it, heading outside. Once outside, she turned to the right, heading to the helipad, where the Quinjet was parked, walking past and standing on the edge of the cliff.

She looked out over the Wakandan rainforest, it was still with only the faint roars of a tiger somewhere down in the undergrowth.

She sat down and sighed, enjoying the cool breeze on her face. Loose hairs draped across her face, but she ignored them. She contemplated where she was, where she had been and what they were about to undertake. Never before had she been so close to being completely free of her torment. If they could just rid the world of Red, perhaps she could move on.

She bit her lip. No, she could never really truly move on. She wasn't the same girl who joined the military, fresh faced and keen to learn. She was now a living, breathing, killing machine, everything about her was created to subdue others.

She scowled. "Got to be kidding yourself," she sneered under her breath.

"I never took you as much of a joker, personally," came a voice. She jumped and turned her head to see Bucky walking across the helipad, the wind blowing his hair across his face and blowing his casual shirt tight against his front, showing the definition in his chest.

She cringed slightly, annoyed that her moment alone had been interrupted, turning back to face the forest and sighing. "Bucky, I'm starting to think you've got a tracking device on me or something."

He sat beside her, wincing slightly as he did so, causing her to look at him in mild amusement. It was nearly six hours later and he was still paining from their fight. "Hardly. There's not exactly a lot places to hide in this joint." She scoffed, pressing her lips into a line, doubting his reasoning. "Actually, Wanda asked me to come and find you to see what you wanted for dinner."

"What are the options?"

"I think the guys said the options were pizza, pizza and more pizza. They're ordering right now, I imagine."

She furrowed her brow and looked at him, before shaking her head. "Right."

"What are you doing out here anyway?" he asked after a moment of silence drifted between them.

"I was contemplating," she answered, still staring into the distance.

"What?"

She glanced sideways. Bucky was looking straight at her with a small smile on his face, leaning back on his arms, his legs crossed slightly in front of him, his jeans appearing to strain at the angles his legs made. She bet his roguish smile and mischievous eyes had got him all the girls when he was younger. She wondered what he had been like when he was younger and joining the military. She had often listened to Steve telling stories of the Bucky he knew as a youngster in the 1940s when they were trying to track him down, fascinated by the difference in time and lifestyle.

She found it hard to believe that the sometimes broody and quiet man that sat next to her was the same boy as back then.

"Well," she began slowly, quickly looking back out over the forest as she felt her cheeks heat slightly and heart quicken in her chest. "I guess, it all comes down to the fact that if we, by some miracle, pull this off, I'll finally be free of torment." She watched as a flock of parrots took flight from a group of trees as chimpanzees swung through the branches.

"That's a good thing, isn't it?" he asked after a moment of silence had passed between them, leaning forwards and peering into her face.

She bit her lip. It was, in a way. But would it change anything? "I guess so."

"You don't sound too confident," he replied, and she sensed him edging closer to her. "What's bothering you?"

She looked down at her hands in her lap, picking at her nails. "Well, while I guess I'll be free from ever worrying about them again, it doesn't change anything, does it?" she answered, looking at Bucky. "I'm still going to be forced to hide in the shadows, I can't go home, I won't have a normal life." She sighed, slightly relieved to get it off her chest, but uneasy having said it all out loud to Bucky.

He wouldn't have the kind of freedom she had, until T'Challa and his scientists and doctors could figure out how to reverse the brainwashing. He was always going to live in fear of turning into the Winter Soldier, and she felt bad having spoke her silly feelings towards her situation knowing he wasn't so lucky. "Sorry."

He looked at her incredulously and frowned. "What are you apologising for?"

"Well, I'm here worrying about trivial things like this and you're... well... you know..."

"Still harbouring homicidal tendencies at the mention of a few words?" She cringed and looked apologetic, but nodded, causing him to laugh lightly. "I don't know what you're feeling right now, Vielka, but don't apologise for feeling that way on my behalf. I'm glad you're going to be finally free, and although I'm a little jealous, I don't think you need to worry about my feelings. I've been through a bit, I'm pretty tough."

She scoffed and withheld a laugh and snide comment, to which he raised an eyebrow pointedly at her. She pursed her lips together and simply gave him a small nod, thinking it best to keep her wit subdued at that moment.

"Oh, if you're going to say something, Vielka, you best be saying it," Bucky said warningly, waving his finger in the air towards her.

She shook her head, looking away from Bucky. "Nope, you were nice to me right now, so I'm going to be nice and keep my thoughts to myself."

He poked her in the ribs, making her jump. "We both know you're not nice." She looked at him, mouth agape, while he grinned back mischievously. "Don't act coy."

"Take that back," she said, as he stood up and began to walk away. "I'm the nicest person you know!"

"As nice as a wolf amongst a flock of sheep, maybe," he called back, backing away with a challenging look.

"You're dead." She jumped to her feet and ran after him, making him turn and sprint away.

"See!"

* * *

 **I'm copying this edit to my clipboard to make sure the bloody website doesn't stuff me around again...**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, it's getting awfully exciting around here, isn't it?**

 **Have you read the prequel, Banzai, yet? It's getting interesting too, just saying ;)**

 **This chapter is a bit shorter than the others, for good reason. Read and find out why ;)**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 12**

It was finally time, Bucky sat impatiently in the back of the Quinjet, fidgeting with his rifle handgrip, going through their mission plan in his head, T'Challa and Clint were flying the jet, while Natasha manned the tracking device, sitting just behind the cockpit. This seemed almost normal to him, vaguely reminding him of the missions he and Steve used to run with their team, back in the day.

"We're about 15 minutes out, guys," she called out.

Bucky looked around the back of the aircraft. Everyone looked anxious, everyone except Vielka. She looked resolute, staring into the distance. He wondered what was going through her mind, perhaps she was thinking about how she would react when she ran into Red again.

He stood up and moved to stand beside her, earning him a grin from Steve.

Vielka glanced sideways at him, acknowledging he was there but saying nothing.

The Quinjet began to descend and they heard T'Challa bark an order. "Activate the EMP!"

There was a rumbling as the EMP was activated and the jets shield bore the brunt of the pulse. The ramp lowered and they could see the large compound below.

Crossbones had taken up residence in an old WWII bunker in southern Germany. Gaia had managed to track the exact location and then sourced the old plans for the compound.

Below them, Bucky could see several of Crossbones' soldiers were lying on the ground, currently inactive while their systems rebooted.

"We've got exactly five minutes before their systems reboot!" Vielka shouted, stepping forward. She turned to face the others the slightest of smirks on her face, before her shining golden-brown eyes met his. He saw that glint in her eyes, the one she got whenever they were about to take on battle. She slid her armoured face mask over her eyes, the eyes blackening almost instantly. "Try to keep up."

She jumped from the back of the jet, Bucky stepping forward to watch as she flipped once, before she landed in a crouch on the ground below.

Steve and Bucky exchanged glances, as Scott disappeared behind them. "You first," Bucky said, motioning to the open doors, a grin on his face.

Steve shook his head. "Age before beauty."

"You're older than me," Bucky retorted, scoffing at his fellow super soldier.

"You're both ancient, will you just go," Sam demanded, pushing between them before he jumped, spreading his wings and soaring into the night. Natasha pushed past next, rolling her eyes at them both as Wanda lifted her and Clint into the air with her powers, carefully lowering them to the ground below, before using her powers on herself.

Bucky leapt from the back, landing on the ground and rolling quickly, unslinging the rifle from his back as Steve rolled and stood next to him.

T'Challa flew the jet away, he would join them once he had secured it.

Vielka was waiting a little ahead of them, at the entrance to the tunnels that ran beneath the compound, with her own rifle drawn.

She motioned for them to catch up, preparing to open the doors. He was quick to move, stacking up on the other door as they waited for the others.

"Ready?" she asked, looking at him. He nodded, and she pulled open the door with one hand, the other resting on the trigger guard of her rifle, as he raised his rifle, checking the corners of the tunnel they entered.

There were two soldiers that were currently inactive inside the door, and Wanda had been tasked with deactivating their control devices by way of a device created by Gaia.

They entered the tunnel, Vielka and Bucky moving ahead, with Steve and Sam close behind. Natasha and Clint stayed back to offer protection for Wanda as she deactivated the soldiers.

"Scott, anything interesting yet?" Steve asked as he followed up the rear as they passed through the tunnels.

"Uh," Scott's voice sounded anxious. "Yeah, maybe, depends on your definition of interesting!"

There was gun fire up ahead. Vielka rushed ahead of Bucky, pushing to one side of the tunnel as they approached a doorway. A soldier ran out, alarmed when he saw Vielka but she put two bullets in his knee and a shot into his hand before he could fire at her, causing him to collapse on the floor.

"I think the EMP might have worn off!" Scott shouted as he grew to normal size, throwing another soldier out the doorway they were about to enter before shrinking again to avoid more gun fire.

"Hang on!" Vielka shouted, before stepping through the door and engaging the soldiers inside the large bunker style room.

Bucky and Steve were quick to follow, while Sam covered their backs from the corridor, until Wanda, Clint and Natasha could make their way to them.

Bucky and Steve moved and fired, ducking behind cover every now and then. Bucky had lost sight of Vielka, but could hear her as she reached Scott.

"You alright, Scott?"

"Thanks!"

"Military tactics aren't your strong point, huh?" he heard her ask him, and Bucky scoff in reply. "Don't be mean, Bucky."

Steve grinned at Bucky, as he ducked his head to avoid bullets, before pulling his shield from his back and throwing it at a wall, it ricocheted off, catching the attention of every soldier in the room.

Bucky, Steve, Sam and Vielka all stood and fired, taking out the last 4 soldiers in their location. Vielka caught the shield easily, as it flew past her.

They moved through the room, checking the bodies, as Wanda, Natasha and Clint joined them, Sam staying at the door to keep watch.

"Clear," Vielka finally called from her corner, before bending down to check on Scott who had been thrown into a wall during his initial contact.

"Clear," Bucky agreed from a far corner.

Steve looked around just as T'Challa dropped in from a skylight above them.

"How is it out there?" Steve asked as Vielka strode over to him and handed him his Shield.

"The soldiers are starting to move and are seeking to find the incursion," T'Challa replied. Bucky looked to Vielka, she was scanning the faces on the floor around her as Wanda walked about them, deactivating their control devices, to be safe.

"How long until the EMP is ready to go again?" Steve asked Natasha, who checked the devices remote that was strapped to her wrist.

"Still at least another 10 minutes," she replied ruefully, with a shake of her head.

"More fun for us," Vielka said, cocking her rifle, before turning back towards the door, holding her weapon up as she strode away.

 **oOOo**

They cleared the tunnels, corridor by corridor, bunker by bunker and still they hadn't reached the control panel for the soldiers yet. According to the tracking device that she carried on her wrist, it was close.

The amount of soldiers they came against slowly dwindled, until they only faced sporadic skirmishes here and there.

"We've got to be close now," Clint murmured, bringing up the rear.

"You're telling me," Vielka murmured. Bucky was ahead of her, she felt assured having him close by. They worked well, clearing room after room together, along with Steve and Sam. They had made the job fairly easy and she almost felt like she was back in Australia, running operational drills through the urban training centre.

She quickly snapped her attention back to the job at hand, as Bucky halted in front of her. He glanced back as she moved closer, waiting for him to give her an instruction.

"There's a lot waiting for us in here. We might need to split up," he murmured, looking from her across the corridor to Steve.

Vielka pressed her lips together, considering their options, but Steve spoke up before she could offer one. "Sam, Vielka and T'Challa, head back and take that last corridor, it should lead to the door on the far side. You've got five minutes and then we breech." She could see why he was given the rank of Captain now.

They all nodded beginning to move. Vielka, T'Challa and Sam all ran down the corridor, only facing a small amount of resistance and made it to the second door just in time.

Sam stood at the door, ready to breech, while Vielka stood to his left, ready to enter firing, with T'Challa close behind to follow.

Sam checked his watch, all of them waiting anxiously. He motioned with his fingers counting down. "3, 2, 1, BREECH! BREECH!" He flung open the door, Vielka striding through with her weapon raised, watching her rifle fire as Steve and Bucky entered from the other door, followed by Clint and Natasha. Wanda and Scott followed closely behind, Scott providing protection for Wanda.

"I see Crossbones!" came Scott's shout, catching Vielka's attention, looking to see him disappearing out a door with Red close behind.

"He's going to get away," Clint shouted, aiming his bow and arrow at a soldier who was currently impeding Natasha's progress. He fired and the arrow struck the soldier, exploding.

"Natasha! That EMP would be pretty amazing right now!" Scott shouted, although no one could currently see him.

"It's active! Triggering in 3, 2, 1!"

Within seconds, the soldiers in the room but a select few dropped to the ground.

"Crap, we've got some live ones!" came Scott's shout, before he was flung across the room to land on Vielka's right.

"Hold on, Tic Tac!" Sam shouted, taking flight. Vielka pushed forward, looking for the soldier responsible, finding one of Crossbones' men waiting for her. He jumped in front her, discharging his weapon, she ducked, moving behind cover and waiting for him to reload.

When she heard him stop firing, she stepped out, firing twice and hitting her target twice, dropping him to the floor, before another stepped out from behind shelving. She turned to fire at him, but her weapon suffered a stoppage.

"Piece of shit," she growled as she dove for cover, shrapnel from the bullets flying everywhere. She rolled to a crouch, trying to clear the stoppage on her rifle.

"You alright, Vielka?" Bucky called through the gun fire from somewhere over the other side of the room.

She heard the soldier's rifle fire stop and she guessed he was reloading, she charged out from behind her cover, throwing her rifle at the man, much to his surprise, although he was able to deflect it easily. Her flying kick, he wasn't able to deflect so easily, being sent flying backwards into a row of shelves, landing heavily and laying still.

"Just dandy, thanks."

 **oOOo**

Bucky moved to the door he had seen Crossbones disappear through, not waiting for anyone else to catch up. He was not letting him get away now, they were so close.

He hurried through, entering a dark room. He heard a crunching underneath his feet. Glass, someone had shot out the lights.

"Bucky, where are you?" came Steve's voice through his earpiece.

"I'm in pursuit of Crossbones," he whispered, keeping low, hoping to see either Red or Crossbones shadow across the floor from the light streaming through the high windows of the room he was in. It appeared to be an old workshop of some sort, old machinery in desparate need of repair formed orderly lines across the vast expanse of the room.

He crept forward, keeping close to the wall, away from any light, in the hopes of avoiding detection.

His hopes were higher than his skill apparently. He heard the sound of a sword being drawn from a sheath, like he had heard on many an occasion when Vielka trained, turning just in time to block the blow with his rifle.

Red brought his sword down again, as Bucky tried to roll out of the way. It glanced off his titanium arm, striking into the concrete and leaving a deep slice in the ground as Bucky rolled to his feet.

"So you're the one they call the Winter Soldier," Red sneered, hoisting his long sword onto his shoulder, eyeing Bucky's arm. "I don't see it."

"It's not so much about what you see, but what you don't see," Bucky said, discarding his rifle, Red had penetrated the barrel with his sword, it was now compromised, thus useless.

"I see my next victim," Red sneered, swinging his sword again. Bucky ducked it, before trying to throw a punch with his titanium arm. Red blocked it easily, kicking back at him and swinging his sword back around to try and collect him as he dodged his leg. Bucky was able to bring his arm up, but the power behind the sword was more than he bargained for.

He stumbled back slightly, and Red capitalised, moving forward and attacking him ceaselessly. Unlike with Vielka, where her strikes were fast and agile but lacked a lot of strength, his were strong and fast. His long sword was wide, which meant his impacts carried more force.

He found he was being pushed further and further back, and although he tried to counter attack, openings were few and far between.

Red lunged forward, looking to strike Bucky across his chest, but when he moved to block his sword, Red swung a leg low, taking Bucky's feet from beneath him.

He fell back, and Red stepped forward, pushing his sword to Bucky's neck. "Heh, you could never have been suitable for Vielka. A weakling like you."

Bucky narrowed his eyes, before grabbing the sword with his titanium hand, shoving it sideways and aiming a well placed foot into Red's chest. He was thrown back several metres, although he was quick to recover, not quick enough, however, to stop Bucky from attacking him with a punch that sent him into a large piece of machinery.

"It's not about suitability," Bucky sneered, as he walked towards the now destroyed machinery, flexing his neck slightly. "It's about her being free to make the choice."

He went to grab Red and drag him from the machinery, but Red managed to swipe at him with his sword, leaving a shallow gash across his right shoulder, before jumping up and kicking him backwards. Bucky was able to regain his balance, just in time, as Red leapt from the machinery, bringing his sword down to strike Bucky. The sound of metal on metal rang out throughout the room.

The vibration up his arm smarted in his shoulder somewhat, it was an odd sensation and not one that he was used to at all, but he grit his teeth, dodging swing after swing, before aiming a punch that connected with Red's jaw.

Red stumbled back before running forward again, thrusting his sword towards Bucky's torso, but he batted it away with his titanium hand, only to have Red thrust an elbow to his throat.

Bucky choked for air, as Red thrust his sword toward him again, this time aiming for his chest. Although he was struggling to breath, Bucky grabbed at the sword with his titanium hand, holding it at bay.

Red's face contorted as he tried to overpower Bucky, but he refused to give in.

"Vielka could never be yours! She's one of us! She's mine!" Red shouted furiously, before pinning Bucky's titanium arm at the shoulder with his foot.

He reefed his sword from Bucky's hand, before moving to strike it down again, Bucky unable to fend it off with his titanium arm pinned at the shoulder by Red's foot. He struggled to pull his shoulder free, but to no avail, expecting to feel the pain of the sword driving through his armour at any second.

There was the sound of metal meeting metal, it reverberated throughout the large workshop and rang loudly in Bucky's ears, as he squeezed his eyes shut.

 **oOOo**

Vielka strained against Red's sword, holding its sharp blade centimetres from Bucky's face with her own swords.

"Vielka," Red snarled, trying to force his sword down again. She used all her strength to force him backwards, flinging his blade upwards and away from Bucky.

She stepped over Bucky, her swords at her side and not taking her eyes off her old commander, as she crouched down next to Bucky. "You alright?" She glanced sideways down at him as he began to sit up.

"Yeah," he replied, wiping blood from his nose as Steve, T'Challa and Sam ran into the room, followed closely behind by Natasha, Clint, Scott and Wanda.

Steve helped Bucky to his feet, before turning to face Red as well. "Whatever Crossbones is paying you, isn't worth it," Steve tried to reason.

Vielka interjected, "He's not being paid anything. He's doing this because he wants to," she sneered, looking upon him in disgust.

"Clever girl, my partnership with Crossbones is mutually beneficial. He gets rich, we get the perfect world."

Vielka shook her head, before glancing behind her at the others. "Go after Crossbones. I'll deal with him."

"Are you sure?" Bucky asked, eyeing off Red as Steve helped him to his feet. Vielka could see it in his eyes as he sidled closer to her, he wasn't happy with the idea.

"It would be my absolute pleasure," she said, turning back to face Red, raising her swords in front of her, and swinging them playfully.

"Good luck," Steve said, before motioning for the others to follow him.

Vielka listened to the footsteps that ran towards the door at the other end of the workshop, noting that one set hadn't moved. "Go Bucky, Steve needs your help."

"Be safe."

She listened to his fading footsteps, making sure he was gone before she charged at Red.

Their swords clashed loudly, Vielka being careful to keep moving. She knew Red's fighting style was founded on a solid base and dashed left and right, dancing around him with fierce strikes while dodging his swinging blade.

"Argh!" he shouted, kicking out at her. He connected, causing her to crash back into a conveyor belt. She got to her knees, wincing as she felt pain shoot through her side.

"I see you've been training, Corporal," Red sneered, walking forward and grabbing her by the hair. He dragged her back to the middle of the floor, throwing her roughly to the ground. "Stop with these games, come back to where you belong."

"I never belonged with you and the doctor, and that crazy ideology that he brainwashed you into believing. It's ridiculous!" she retorted, moving to stand again.

"The doctor's ideology?" Red smirked. "Whoever said it was his ideology?" Vielka stared at Red, unsure of what it was he was saying, or more so, not believing it. "It was my idea to create the perfect world, the perfect army, and you, you were going to help me. You were going to stand beside me as my lady of beauty and fierceness, you were perfect!"

She clenched her jaw, looking away angrily. This mad man, it was him all along. He had killed most of her crew, he had forced her to kill numerous innocent people and this whole time, she blamed the doctor.

"I'm going to make you pay for doing this to me," she whispered in a deathly quiet voice, holding so tight to her swords her knuckles were going white.

He scoffed. "You'll never beat me, I taught you how to use a sword, I taught you everything you know." She ignored him, launching herself forward, her swords swinging furiously as they clashed with his.

"You didn't teach me everything I know, but you did teach me how I'm going to beat you!"

She blocked the swing of his blade with one of her swords, striking with the other across his thigh, before spinning away and catching his shoulder.

He stopped and looked at his thigh, before glaring at her, to which she smirked challengingly.

He lunged forwards again, bringing his sword down on her, she blocked it but it was a stronger strike than she had thought, and she faltered slightly. He took the opportunity to kick out at her, knocking her backwards and as she tried to right herself, spinning around to put her hands on the ground, he slashed her across the back of her armour with his blade, slicing the elastic that held her ponytail.

She hissed in pain as the blood began to seep from the back of her neck where the armour stopped at the top of her neck. She tried to recover herself, her hair cascading around her face.

Red walked forward, setting one foot on one of her blades and grabbing a handful of her hair, yanking it backwards so she looked up to him He ripped her armoured face plate from its place across her eyes, throwing it away. "I envisaged this differently." He bent down, capturing her lips in his roughly.

His kiss was savage and she felt sick, trying to pull away, but he wouldn't let her. So she lifted the one sword that was loose, stabbing him through the foot that held her second sword. He snarled angrily, releasing her hair so she was able to pull away finally.

When he stepped away, she swiped her sword upwards wildly, slashing off the straps of his body armour. It fell to the floor with a resounding thud and she spun away, poised and ready to defend.

She felt the back of her neck aching, not just from the large gash there now, but just in general. She had not long recovered from being under the control of the device, and her body ached all over from the strain of maintaining long term combat.

"You ungrateful bitch!" he roared and ran at her. She braced herself for his attack, her arms felt the jarring force of his strike as his sword clashed with hers. She held him there, refusing to submit to his brute strength.

He leaned his head forward, sneering at her. "I am going to beat you, and I am going to re-administer your device, then I am going to make you hunt every last one of your little friends like nothing more than your prey."

Vielka felt her rage build to new heights, as she remembered attacking her friends the last time she was under his control, seeing their faces confused and fearful as she struck at them. And then, it was like she finally hit the point of no return.

Her mind went blank, her body reacted of its own accord. She stepped back, pulling her swords away from his and allowing his sword to follow through. It bit into her shoulder as it swung through, but she ignored the pain.

She swung her own sword once and he lifted his sword in time to block it. She swung her other sword, he tried to block it too, but she moved with such speed and strength as her rage broke through, that her Vibranium blade sliced through his with a resounding clash.

She then spun, bringing both swords around to slash across his chest, before spinning both swords to change her grip of them, lunging forward and plunging both of her blades deep into his chest.

He stood frozen, a look of utter shock and disbelief on his face as he stared at her.

She glared at him, bringing her face closer to his, staring straight into his eyes, seeing the flash of fear through them. "You will never lay a hand on me or my friends, ever again."

She reefed her blades from his chest, watching as he collapsed to the ground, blood pouring from his body, making gurgling sounds as he still tried to comprehend what was happening.

* * *

 **That was cold... I scare me sometimes...**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	13. Chapter 13

**Right gang!**

 **So, I've reached the end of the pre-written part of the story, pretty much. I'll try and get a little more written, but I've also injured my hand, so it could take a while. Writing this is painful as it is.**

 **I'm glad those who had reviewed it so far have enjoyed this fic, I do plan to continue this on to follow the next few MCU releases, but obviously, can't do that until they're released, can I :P**

 **For now...enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

Bucky ducked behind a large crate as he tried to get a shot in on Crossbones.

He wore a massive powered suit, it stood at least twelve feet in the air and was fitted with rockets, energy cannons as well as some kind of shield that they were struggling to break through.

Their weapons seemed to be doing nothing to stop the machine, though, that was not what they were trying to achieve.

Scott was currently trying to break into the suit and destroy its power source, but he needed Crossbones distracted.

Bucky waited for Falcon to be clear before he took a few more shots, trying to draw Crossbones closer to him.

"Hey guys, we've got a problem," Scott called out through their radios, sounding as if he was getting thrown around a bit inside the suit.

"Not what we want to hear, Scott," Steve shouted back as he dove out of the way from a massive, swinging arm.

"So there's two things, firstly, this suit has some kind of active shield, it's nearly impenetrable," he began to explain as Bucky moved from his cover, firing before diving behind a large piece of machinery.

"Stating the obvious much, Tic Tac?" Sam replied, swooping behind a large piece of machinery to avoid a cannon blast.

"Nearly?" Natasha queried, rolling between the feet of Crossbones and leaping out of the way.

"I've noticed when Captain America's shield hits him, it seems to drop, maybe 3 seconds tops, depending on the force of the strike."

"Well, that's not such a problem, what's the other?" Wanda asked, using her powers to pull apart machinery and throw it at Crossbones, calling his attention to her. Sam was quick to swoop in and fly her to safety.

"The other is this suits power source seems to be some kind of unstable nuclear based substance. I've got no clue on that stuff."

"Tony would come in handy right about now," Bucky heard Natasha mutter under her breath.

Bucky was about to ask for a plan and fast when Crossbones spotted him and fired a cannon at him. He felt himself tackled roughly from his right and sprawled on the ground in a daze for a moment, his ears ringing from the blast as he looked up and saw the large crate he had been hiding behind was now a pile of fire and ash.

He looked beside him and saw Vielka grabbing him by the arm and trying to drag him away from open ground, shouting at him.

"Would you get up, damn it!" He quickly obliged, scrambling to his feet, relieved to see she was okay, although he noted she had quite a few open wounds, a large gash apparent on her right shoulder. "I'm getting a tad sick of saving your ass."

He scoffed half-heartedly at her jab at his dispense. "I'm pretty certain you still owe me one," he said as they ducked behind shelving, peering around the sides to try and get a good look at Crossbones powered suit.

She looked back at him with a dubious look. "Hang on, I count two, since when did you do three saves?"

"Did you forget the bear?"

"I didn't really need your help for that one!" she sneered, looking around her surroundings.

"Can we get back to the job at hand here?" Scott shouted, he sounded like he was being rattled around inside the suit.

"I've got an idea," Clint shouted, firing another explosive arrow that bounced off the shield harmlessly and exploded. "If Steve can throw his shield and get Crossbones' shield to drop, then maybe we can fire something into that power source and destroy it that way?"

"Yeah, but what is going to be fast enough? We literally only have three seconds maximum," Steve replied, rolling out of the way of another blast of Crossbones cannon.

"And it would need to be a strong piece of metal to pierce through the protective casing!" Scott shouted. The power source was situated on the back of the suit inside a large square box. The metal casing looked to be quite a few centimetres thick.

"Me." Bucky looked sideways at Vielka. She had a serious look on her face as she looked up at Crossbones as he swiped at T'Challa.

"No way," he objected, firing at Crossbones until the clip was empty before reloading. "There's got to be another way."

"I'm inclined to agree with Bucky," T'Challa commented, before he was hit by a swinging arm finally, flung backwards past Vielka. She quickly grabbed him and dragged him back towards her and Bucky's hiding place.

"Well, unless you two have a better plan, I'm it." She glanced back at Bucky. "I'm faster than everyone here, my swords are made from the strongest metal on earth, and I've got a better chance of surviving the ensuing blast than most."

There were no words spoken for a moment, only the blasts and crashing from Crossbones trying to destroy them.

"I hate to say it," Steve began, and Bucky immediately loathed him. He himself knew what she said was predominantly true, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't like the plan.

"If we time it right, so that you throw it after I've launched, I'll be able to get through the break in the shield and pierce through the armour casing on that power source."

"Vielka..." Bucky began to argue, but she threw him a look that instantly had him stop. It was evident, she had already made up her own mind.

Instead, he turned and ran from the shelving straight for Crossbones, doing what he could to distract him. He dodged his swinging arms and rolled out of the way as he brought a large, fist down. It gave him an idea. "Hey, Scott, how about you wreak some havoc with the hydraulics in there?"

"Ooohhh, I like your thinking."

Bucky ducked behind another line of shelves, as T'Challa took over distracting Crossbones. He peered around the side of the shelves and just in time, one of Crossbones arms dropped, hanging lifelessly to the suits sides.

"What the hell?" Crossbones shouted angrily. He tried to kick out at T'Challa, and as he lifted his leg, it froze mid kick.

"Ah, sorry, technical difficulties!" Scott shouted, laughing manically from within the suit.

"Why you little!"

"Are you ready, Banzai?" T'Challa shouted as he slid along the floor below Crossbones. Captain America lined up his shot and waited to hear from the female super soldier.

Bucky looked up and saw Vielka easily balancing along one of the supporting beams of the roof, agile as a cat.

She stopped, looking down at Crossbones as his AI system tried to flush Antman out of his suit. He watched as she seemed to analyse the situation from above.

"We need a massive distraction and then on my call, Cap needs to let loose with the shield."

"Are you sure about this?" Natasha asked, sounding as concerned as Bucky felt.

"Nope, but we've got to try something." She looked down and met his gaze, offering him an apologetic smile. The dimples appeared in her cheeks and her eyes seemed to smile along with her, before she continued to move along the support beam, following Crossbones as he moved.

He looked to where Crossbones was now trying to swat at Falcon as he flew around trying to shoot at the suit, having rid the suit of Antman's treachery.

Bucky felt himself getting angry again, because of Crossbones, Vielka was now going to risk her life to stop him. It wasn't fair.

He stepped out from his cover and began shooting rapidly at Crossbones, turning his attention to the Winter Soldier. Crossbones laughed as the bullets bounced off his suit harmlessly, as Bucky emptied the clip on his rifle. He threw it aside, instead running straight at Crossbones.

He could vaguely sense that the others were also running towards Crossbones around him. He saw bullets and projectiles headed straight for Crossbones, he ignored them all as he ducked a swinging arm that tried to hit him. He slid across the floor, before standing and punching at the suit. It did nothing, but Crossbones turned to face him again.

"Seriously?" Crossbones sneered incredulously, before hitting him with another punch that sent him sprawling backwards.

"CAP! Now!" he heard Vielka shout.

Bucky recovered himself from where he had been thrown and looked up in time to see Vielka jumping from the overhead beam, grasping a sword between both her hands, as Steve hurled his shield with as much power as he could muster.

They all watched with bated breath as the shield shot through the air, colliding harmlessly with the suits electromagnetic shield, seeing it slightly dim. As it dimmed, Vielka thrust her sword down, putting her full body weight behind it.

There was a blinding light as the sword sunk into the power bank at the back of the suit.

"Take cover!" Clint shouted, grabbing Wanda roughly and shoving her out of harm's way. Bucky and Steve were quick to follow suit, Falcon picking up Natasha as he flew by and getting her to safety.

There was a huge explosion, followed by rushing, burning, hot air that stung the skin.

"The roof is coming down!" Bucky heard Scott shout, making him glance to the ceiling, sure enough, it was beginning to come down.

Wanda and Clint were closest to him, so he quickly moved to cover them, positioning himself so his titanium arm would take the brunt of any debris that fell. He saw Steve do the same using his shield with Scott and Natasha, while Sam used his wings as protection for he and T'Challa.

 **oOOo**

Steve shook the debris from his shield, pushing his way out of the culvert that had formed around them because of his shield. When he looked out, he could see the beginning of dawn peaking over the nearby mountains.

He looked back down and began to help Natasha and Scott. "You guys alright?"

Natasha was sporting a cut on her forehead and lip, Scott seemed a bit groggy still from being flushed out from Crossbones' suit.

"I think we're good," Natasha said, glancing down at Scott as she stood. He took his helmet off and gave a small nod.

"Bucky? Sam?" Steve shouted, looking to where he had last seen his friends.

"We're good," Sam called back first, flinging his wings wide and throwing debris from them, before folding them back down again. Steve saw T'Challa stand and remove his helmet, looking back at him and nodding.

"Vielka?" Bucky's voice drew Steve's attention to him. He was forcing debris out of his way, Clint and Wanda close behind him, as they made their way towards the last known location of Vielka.

Steve hurried to join them. "Sam, flyover, see if you can spot Vielka."

Sam spread his wings and flew as Steve hurried to help Bucky start removing the debris of the building.

"I see the suit, or what's left of it," Falcon called as he landed in the middle of the debris. Steve, Bucky and the rest of the team hurried to climb over the debris.

What they found waiting had Steve's heart sink, and he could tell it tore at his best friend's too.

Where Crossbones had once been was a charred mess. Debris was strewn all around a large black hole in the ground.

Bucky knelt by the charred ground, rubbing a hand across his face, and Steve rested a sympathetic hand on his friend's shoulder. He looked to T'Challa, he too, looked distraught. Both were the closest of friends with Vielka.

There was movement behind T'Challa, that had him whip around with his claws raised. Scott and T'Challa both cautiously hurried to a small pile of rubble, Scott pulling aside the rubble as Steve moved to stand behind them.

"Crossbones," T'Challa growled, reaching down and reefing him towards him. His face was bloodied, one eye wouldn't even open it seemed and his body hung limply in T'Challa's claws.

"Heh, what? Were you expecting somebody else?"

There was silence as they all glared coldly at him, Steve saw Bucky edging closer to T'Challa, moving to stand directly behind him. Steve could see it on Bucky's face, it held a deathly glare that made even Steve's blood run cold. He hadn't seen that look in a long time, not since the last time he was under Hydra control.

Crossbones looked around at all of them, before he began to grin. "I guess she's not so indestructible then."

It happened in a split second, Bucky shoved past T'Challa, grabbing Crossbones by the throat with his titanium hand and beginning to squeeze. Steve and T'Challa hurried to stop him, Natasha and Clint pulling Crossbones from Bucky's grasp.

"I swear I will rip you limb from limb!" Bucky shouted angrily. Steve was dumbfounded by his old friend's rage, he had never seen him so angry before, not without being under the control of Hydra. He and T'Challa were struggling to hold him at bay, while Wanda subdued Crossbones with her powers, making his mind wander elsewhere.

"Bucky, stop. He'll pay, the right way, we'll make sure of it," Steve said, trying to stand before him.

Bucky glared at him. "He doesn't deserve it."

"He doesn't, but don't you think there has been enough death at your hands?" T'Challa replied calmly, also moving to stand before him. Bucky stopped struggling and stared at the Black Panther, while Steve inwardly cringed. T'Challa had a bad habit of speaking plainly, and Steve put it down to his Royal status, but sometimes it was just badly timed. "Vielka would not want you to take more blood at her expense. You know this," T'Challa continued, not perturbed by the icy stare of the Winter Soldier.

Steve maintained his grip on Bucky, worried his friend might turn on the Wakandan King next, but Bucky's eyes softened and he looked downcast, taking his arm from T'Challa and running his hand through his hair.

"No, she wouldn't."

 **oOOo**

Bucky glared at the now dazed Crossbones once more, before pulling his arm from Steve, walking a short distance away.

He heard the others murmuring amongst themselves as he looked down at the scorched ground before him.

He thought back to what little time he had spent with Vielka, getting to know her and understanding her better. He regretted not arguing more against the plan in Como, perhaps if he had, they wouldn't be here now.

There wasn't much debris there, it looked like a lot of it had been blown outwards, what wasn't disintegrated by the heat of the blast.

He considered that for a moment, before looking to where Crossbones had been thrown. He had been positioned in front of the power source, hence him being blown forward.

He knelt down and looked into the opposite direction. There was debris all around him, but he noticed a pile that appeared to not have been thrown quite as far or widely spread as the rest.

He moved forward, analysing the pile carefully. He kicked aside a piece of iron ceiling, revealing a shoe. A shoe he recognised as Vielka's.

He felt his heart in his throat, but tried to quash his excitement, bending down to have a closer look. He moved some more debris, seeing that the shoe was still inhabited. He hurried forward, moving more debris.

"Bucky?" Steve called, apparently noticing the commotion he was making.

Bucky removed all the debris, to reveal Vielka's body. He stood up, taking a deep breath in awe as Steve and T'Challa joined him.

"My god," T'Challa breathed, staring down at Vielka with a distraught expression on his face.

Her Vibranium thread bodysuit had been torn open in places, parts of her skin burnt and peeling while some of her hair was singed. Her face featured a large gash and burns, her lips bled from missing skin and possibly even internal bleeding, it was hard to tell with so much blood everywhere.

Bucky fell to his knees, looking down at the beaten body of Banzai, suddenly feeling an overwhelming wave of emotion and clenching his fists as he stared down at her lifeless body.

Something caught Bucky's attention as Steve bent down to check on her pulse. Although she still held the handle, the blade of her sword was gone, appearing to have melted or disintegrated in the blast. There was no blade left, just the handle, held tightly in her right hand.

"Sam! Get over here!" Steve shouted suddenly, surprising Bucky and causing him to look up at him in confusion. Steve met his gaze. "She's still alive."

Bucky stared at Steve before looking down at Vielka. He reached down and felt for her pulse at her neck, sure enough, although it was weak, there was the faintest pulse.

Before Sam could get to them, he picked up her body quickly but carefully, beginning to walk through the debris.

"What's going on?" Sam asked in confusion as they hurried towards him.

"Fly her to the Quinjet, get her onto the life support straight away. We will get there as quick as possible," T'Challa ordered, as Sam took Vielka's body carefully from Bucky.

"You got it."

Bucky watched as Sam flew through the destroyed ceiling, soaring high into the air before disappearing from sight.

 **oOOo**

It didn't take Bucky and the others long to get back to the Quinjet, nor did it take them long to return to Wakanda, but to Bucky it felt like an age as he sat and watched T'Challa and Natasha work on Vielka as best they could. When they finally got her back to The Facility in Wakanda, the medical team was already waiting on the flight deck.

It didn't set Bucky at ease any, as he had watched them wheel her away. The whole time all he could think about was how he wanted her to survive this.

He paced outside the medical wing, along with most of the others. T'Challa stood waiting outside the door, while Clint, Sam and Natasha murmured in a corner, giving fleeting glances to the medical wing door.

Wanda soon appeared with Scott holding trays of drinks for them all, but still they waited for any signs of Vielka or the doctor.

About three hours after their return from Austria, the doctor emerged.

T'Challa stepped before the doctor immediately. "How is she doing?" T'Challa asked, his voice was laced with concern as Bucky hurried to stand beside him.

"Her pulse is all over the place, one second she's close to fading, next minute, it's strong, we are still trying to figure out why it is fluctuating like that," the doctor began to explain as everyone gathered around him. "We believe she should survive."

The news didn't do anything to improve Bucky's anxiousness for some reason.

Clint must have felt the same way. "I sense a but here."

The doctor glanced around at them nervously. "Well, it's like this - something, uh, peculiar, has happened to Vielka's body."

Bucky looked from the doctor to T'Challa in confusion, hoping the Wakandan king might have a better idea of what the doctor meant, but the look on his face told him that T'Challa was as confused as he felt.

"Explain?" T'Challa pressed.

The doctor pursed his lips and rubbed his eyes with one hand. "Well, it's like this, we can't get any fluids into her by IV. Her skin is impenetrable to any of our needles."

Bucky stared at the doctor for a moment before looking to T'Challa. The Black Panther's face held a look of concern. "Then how are you managing to rehydrate her body?"

"We aren't. We can't. We cannot get a needle into her. We've tried everywhere." Bucky's heart sank. Without hydration, she was sure to be doomed. "Can you tell me what she was exposed to?"

"Some foreign energy source, that's the best we know for the time being," T'Challa replied regrettably. The doctor nodded before excusing himself.

Bucky pressed his lips together as he stared at the door to where they were keeping Vielka. He vaguely noticed Steve and the others stand to discuss the situation with T'Challa behind him.

"Crossbones, we have to get it out of him."

"Or the Viscount."

The two thoughts had already crossed his mind, but he couldn't bring himself to leave the medical wing.

Steve moved to stand next to him, looking quite glum himself, as he put a sympathetic hand on Bucky's shoulder.

Before either could say anything, there was the sound of an alarm inside the entire ward, and a light began to flash impatiently outside the door to Vielka's room.

The doctor came rushing back, followed by another doctor and two nurses.

T'Challa hurried to follow them, as the doctor opened the door to Vielka's room. Suddenly, the doctor was flung backwards as another body was hurled through the door.

Bucky and Steve both stared in alarm as the doctor and one of the male nurses landed in a tangled heap on the floor, both appearing bewildered but uninjured.

"Vielka!" T'Challa exclaimed, hurrying through the door. Bucky and Steve moved to protect the remaining doctor and nurses, ushering them towards Natasha and Clint before hurrying to follow T'Challa.

Inside the room, Vielka was standing beside the bed, leaning against it unsteadily. Her breathing was ragged and she was dressed only in a hospital gown.

Bucky could see her wounds were bleeding at her face and arms, her eye was still closed and swollen. Her one eye that remained open looked around the room wildly, before coming to rest on them.

"Vielka, calm down, the doctors and nurses are trying to help you," T'Challa said calmly, trying to soothe the woman.

"No... something is wrong," she hissed, eyeing them off, panting. Bucky furrowed his brow, concerned by what she meant. "There's something wrong with my body."

"The doctors are trying to figure it out," Steve said, also trying to calm her.

She narrowed her eye at them, before they widened, her swollen eye also opening slightly, and she bent forward, gripping at her body fiercely and releasing a gut wrenching scream.

"Vielka!" Bucky exclaimed in horror, moving forward to try and help her, but T'Challa stopped him quickly.

"I sense her body is trying to either fight or adapt to the changes," T'Challa said narrowing his eyes, watching the Australian woman as she writhed in pain, turning to grip at the bed.

"We can't leave her like that," Bucky retorted, ignoring him and moving forward.

He was within arm's reach of her when she held her hand up to stop him in his tracks. "Don't."

"It's okay, Vielka, I'll help you."

"No." She looked up at him, through pained eyes, and gritted teeth. "Wait."

As he watched her, to his astonishment, the large burn on the side of her face slowly began to heal. The skin regenerated right before his eyes, Vielka squinting and wincing in pain every so often. Her swollen eye began to subside and the colouring faded, returning her eye to normal.

"What the...?" He murmured in shock, as he saw the wounds on her arms begin to heal too.

T'Challa and Steve moved to stand on either side of Bucky, also watching as her injuries healed themselves, the skin regenerating to a lighter colour than that of her normal skin tone.

She eventually closed her eyes slowly, blinking once or twice. She turned back to face them, standing up straighter. "It's over."

Bucky was about to ask what was over, when she began to fall forward. He quickly reached out, catching her in both his arms. Her body was still running incredibly hot, but she he could feel her heartbeat through her chest against his arm, as it beat at a steady pace.

* * *

 **Don't forget, while you're waiting for this one to be updated, there's still the prequel 'Banzai' to read. It's also pre-written a fair way ahead so that will most likely still be updated while my hand is recovering.**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	14. Chapter 14

**Hey guys,**

 **So turns out, I did actually have enough written for another chapter before I needed to bring in the Black Panther storyline.**

 **Apologies -_-**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

 **Chapter 14**

T'Challa checked her vitals quickly while Bucky held her in his arms. "She's alright, whatever just happened must have sapped her of her energy."

He nodded towards the bed, before looking back out the door to where the doctors and nurses were peering in anxiously. He nodded and they quickly hurried in, while Steve helped Bucky lay Vielka back onto the bed carefully.

He pushed her hair from her face, before stepping back to let the doctors work again, not that there was much left for them to do. Vielka had done all their work for them, although they would still need to figure out what was happening to her.

They filed out of her room, to meet with the rest of the team who looked to the three of them expectantly.

"It would seem that Vielka's body is undertaking its transformation," T'Challa began, appearing thoughtful for a moment. "I imagine this is a side effect of being exposed directly to the power source as it exploded."

"I think it best if someone stays close by her in case that happens again," Steve said, making reference to the violent outburst.

"I don't think it could be just anyone either," Natasha commented pointedly.

"No, there's only three people, maybe four, who would be able to stop her in her place," Steve agreed.

"Then perhaps the rest of us should find out what was in that power source, we might be able to get some answers?" Sam suggested, looking thoughtful.

"Alright, this is how we will do it. Myself, Bucky and T'Challa will take turns to watch over Vielka, with Wanda on call in case we need to mentally subdue her. The rest of you, research, find out whatever you can about the power source, the chemicals used on Vielka back in Afghanistan and get the information to the doctors here. If that means questioning Crossbones or the viscount then do it."

Everyone nodded in understanding, beginning to move off.

Bucky turned to Steve, but he motioned for him to stop with a hand. "I know, you'll take first watch."

Bucky gave a small, grateful smile, before walking back into Vielka's room.

Vielka lay still on the bed, her eyes closed as the doctors and nurses set back to work on her now that Bucky was there to keep watch.

Bucky could see they were anxious being near her again, and he could understand that, although it pained him. He knew that they would probably do their best not to let it show when she woke again, but she would be able to tell.

He watched as the doctors tried to prick her skin with a needle, but it would just glance off or break.

They murmured to each other, before a doctor grabbed a scalpel. He glanced at Bucky, looking for his approval it seemed.

Bucky was also curious and nodded once, moving to stand beside Vielka in case she woke.

The doctor dragged the tiny, sharp blade across the skin on Vielka's upper arm, careful to avoid any vital veins and arteries.

He needn't have bothered, the blade made no cut on her skin, no blood was drawn and she slept on. Bucky released a breath he didn't realise he had been holding while the doctors sighed and shook their heads.

"Is there anything about the incident that you can tell me that struck you as odd, apart from the power source? Like even the littlest thing?" the doctor asked looking to Bucky.

Bucky thought for a moment, staring down at Vielka's still body. The scene before him when he found her after the explosion was etched into his memory, one of the few things that he could remember perfectly.

He recalled her burnt skin, her torn, armoured body suit, the blood that seeped from her wounds and mouth. Even the charred smell of their surroundings.

Then there was the sword handle in her hand, the Vibranium blade missing from the weapon.

"Wait, her sword..." Bucky said, looking at the doctor as he continued to think about what he had seen.

"What about it?" T'Challa asked as he entered the room, Bucky turning to look at him.

"The blade to her sword was missing, but the handle was still in her hand," Bucky explained, but furrowed his brow in confusion, a familiar memory trying to work its way to the forefront, Howard Stark's voice resonating in his head. "I thought Vibranium was virtually indestructible?"

"It is indeed," T'Challa replied thoughtfully. He looked to a small basket set to the side of the room, pulling the remaining sword from the armour and walking over to Vielka. He placed her hand around the handle until a soft beep could be heard and pulled the sword from the sheath. It's blade was still intact. "Interesting."

Bucky wasn't sure what was so interesting about the fact her other blade was intact. He watched as T'Challa picked up a handful of bandage swabs from a nearby trolley. He nodded to a doctor to stand close by, while Bucky moved to the other side.

T'Challa glanced up at Bucky, a look of warning on his face. "Prepare yourself."

To Bucky's horror, and before he could even form a protest, T'Challa had swiped the blade of the sword across her upper arm, it bled immediately.

Vielka sat bolt upright immediately, a look of rage on her face. "What the fuck?" She went to grab at the closest person, which happened to be the doctor, but Bucky was quick to wrap his arms around her upper body, effectively pinning her arms to her side.

"Calm down," T'Challa said, holding a hand up to her, pulling the sword away from her. She stopped struggling, looking to Bucky in confusion and then at the other people around the room. "Well, there are some of the answers we seek."

Bucky still held Vielka tightly as she glanced around the room in confusion. Her face was close to his as she turned it to look at his face, so they were now nearly nose to nose. "Bucky?" she asked blinking as she stared at him. He felt her release a breath and relax in his arms, looking away again.

"Are you feeling okay?" he asked, still concerned for her health but releasing his hold on her slightly. She gave a small nod before looking down to her arm, where a doctor was now beginning to treat the wound.

"What was all that about?" she asked, looking at T'Challa. He looked to Bucky, giving him a curt nod, signifying that he thought it safe for him to release her. For some reason, Bucky couldn't help but feel slightly reluctant to release her, but did so slowly.

He stood straight back up as a doctor quickly applied a plastic strip to seal her wound.

"If my theory is correct," T'Challa began to explain, sheathing the sword again and looking to Bucky. "The explosion has somehow melded the blade of your sword into your body. It seems to have had an effect on your skin to make you impenetrable to anything but Vibranium based metals."

Bucky looked to her face to see her reaction. Her face was blank, not even an acknowledging look passing over her Asian features.

T'Challa turned to the doctor. "I'll have the engineers create a Vibranium based needle for you for future use," he said, motioning towards her. "We will need to have some further tests done to you, to see what else the infusion has affected."

Bucky couldn't help but notice she appeared disgruntled at that, and he too felt a little disgruntled at the thought of her being treated as a lab rat, but she said nothing so he thought it best not to say anything either.

After a few more moments of prodding and poking her here and there, and taking a skin shaving off of her, courtesy of her sword which she performed for them herself, the doctors and T'Challa left to began planning how best to begin their research, T'Challa giving her a quick embrace before leaving.

Bucky narrowed his eyes at T'Challa's back, before catching himself in the act and setting his face back to appear emotionless for the time. He looked back to Vielka, as she pulled her legs in closer and sighed heavily.

"You doing okay, Vielka?" he asked her, as he carefully sat on the side of her bed, careful not to sit too close to her.

She grimaced slightly, but gave a small nod. "Yeah, I guess. Better than being dead."

Bucky cringed at her blunt words, but could understand the sentiment behind them. She was trying to see the silver lining, anything to stop dwelling on the down side. "I hear the food is better here."

She gave a small laugh and smile, breathing deeply again, before crossing her legs before her, pulling a sheet over her legs. "And, no more scars. My modelling career is back on track."

They both laughed at that, before taking a moment to become subdued again. He looked at her for a moment, taking her in. He was still trying to come to terms with the fact that she was sitting there, looking completely fine, talking and joking with him.

"So you're on guard duty?" she asked, looking at him expectantly. He grimaced slightly, contemplating how best to answer her. He opened his mouth to answer but closed it again, not sure of his response. "Don't worry, I get it. I'm unknown at this time, so I'm dangerous. Should probably apologise to that poor nurse, if he ever comes back."

Bucky gave a nervous laugh, recalling the moment the nurse had been thrown from the room. He wondered if her skin was the only change her body had undertaken, or if perhaps there were new enhancements at play.

He was startled from his own thoughts by Vielka clicking her fingers in front of his eyes. He was quick to grab her hand and hold it away, surprised at the action. "You alright? You were staring at me, it was unnerving."

"Sorry, just thinking about all that's happened to you."

"I know, I'm a magnet for trouble."

She pulled a face and Bucky laughed again, before sighing and shaking his head. "You and me both."

 **oOOo**

Vielka lay quietly as a doctor pierced through her skin with one of the new Vibranium needles that had been developed specially for her. She was now under the watchful eyes of T'Challa as they conducted testing on her. She was also well enough to move about under her own strength, but still she was accompanied by either of the Super Soldiers or the Wakandan King, himself.

He wore one of his finely pressed suits, but she had caught a glimpse of black armour beneath it, clearly he was taking precautions. She didn't blame him. No one knew what she was capable of, her included.

It concerned her that Bucky continued to visit her in normal clothing, not bothering to wear his armoured uniform, but when she had confronted him with her thoughts, he had blatantly refused. His excuse was that he didn't want her to feel any more of a prisoner or lab rat than she already did. Bless the boy. His kind nature was going to get him killed one day. Or beaten the shit out of. One or the other.

The doctor finished taking blood from her, holding a cotton ball to the small hole in her arm, turning away to put down the needle and tubes of blood, before turning back to put a bandaid over the hole.

"Oh..." he murmured, looking closer at her arm.

"Don't worry about it, doc, it's gone."

"I can see that." He seemed a little lost at the sudden intrusion to his routine, frowning slightly.

She glanced at T'Challa who looked mildly interested in the exchange, glancing at her arm as well. Vielka looked back to the doctor, before smirking slightly. "You can still give me the lollipop though."

He narrowed his eyes at her before shaking his head with a smile. "You're good to go."

"What? No candy? That's low, man."

T'Challa smiled warmly at Vielka as he handed her hoodie back to her, which she quickly slipped over her head, comforted by the oversized item of clothing. There wasn't much that comforted her these days, her days were spent either in the hospital enduring dull discussions with any of her three guards, or down here in the labs going through more testing, either blood work, scanning or if she was lucky, some physical testing.

She longed for a day of returning back to what she had considered normality. Training, or scanning the channels with Sam for some sign of trouble. Anything.

T'Challa walked beside her as she returned to the hospital room. "Is everything alright, Vielka?" he asked, his voice sounding mildly concerned, pulling her from her own thoughts.

"Hmm?" she asked, looking back at him for a moment, before shaking her head. "No, not really. Just getting tired of all the testing and being watched like a criminal, i guess."

T'Challa looked apologetic. "Please forgive us, Vielka, we never intended to make you feel like a prisoner, we just want to make sure that you're alright, that there have been no adverse affects from the melding process."

"And that's fair enough," she said with a nod and smile. "I'm just feeling disgruntled, that's all. I'll get over it."

She turned to enter her room, walking over to the bed before climbing in, throwing the sheets and blanket over her and rolling on her side, closing her eyes and willing herself to sleep.

 **oOOo**

Bucky walked down the hallway of the hospital wing towards Vielka's room, to find T'Challa was sitting outside her room, not inside like they usually did. He was immediately on edge, suspecting something had happened.

T'Challa saw him and stood up, greeting him with a finger to his lips, motioning for Bucky to be quiet. "She's asleep," T'Challa said quietly as Bucky reached him.

Bucky immediately felt relieved, glancing through doorway, to see she was lying on her side, her face away from them. He looked back to T'Challa to see him looking at her sadly. "What's wrong?"

T'Challa sighed. "Have you ever been to the zoo, James?" he asked, still looking at Vielka lying in bed.

"Uh, not recently, if I'm honest," Bucky replied slowly, mildly surprised that T'Challa had used his first name. He wasn't one to really converse with the Wakandan King often.

"Well, when you go to the zoo, you see the wild animals who are usually the strongest and proudest of the animal kingdom locked behind bars and glass. If you compare them to their free counterparts, you can barely see the difference, except in their eyes." Bucky glanced sideways at T'Challa, unsure of what it was he was getting at. T'Challa looked back at him, frowning slightly. "She is like a caged, wild animal. She has lost the light in her eyes."

Bucky understood what T'Challa meant. Over the course of the last couple of weeks, Vielka had become more and more withdrawn. Even he struggled to get a smile from her these days.

"Well, does she really need to be in here anymore? Surely, she can return to her room, I'm right next door if anything were to happen there, and I thought a majority of the testing was complete?" Bucky reasoned, still watching her sleep through the door.

"Perhaps. I shall go and see what the results are from the last lot of testing and discuss it then," T'Challa replied with a sigh. He nodded to Bucky, before leaving the hospital wing.

Bucky walked quietly into Vielka's room, moving to the side of the bed that she was facing, glancing down at her face. Even in her sleep, she seemed disturbed, a pained expression on her face. He noted on her pillow the slightest appearance of a water stain near her eye. She had been crying.

His heart instantly ached for her. He bit his lip, thoughtful for a moment, before he decided to take some action himself.

 **oOOo**

Vielka was woken with a start by someone touching her shoulder. She opened her eyes slowly, only to be met with familiar, stormy blue eyes. She pushed herself back in surprise at seeing them so close to her face. "Bucky, what are you doing?"

"Come on, we're staging a break out," he replied mischievously, the smile on his face matching the tone in his voice.

She rolled her eyes, rolling over to her other side. "Don't be an idiot."

"Come on, it'll be fun."

"No."

She closed her eyes again, only to hear Bucky's footsteps move to the same side of the bed. "Chicken."

She opened her eyes and glared at him as he leant down to look at her. "What's gotten into you?"

"I'm sick of seeing you mope around, so I'm doing something about it," he answered, smiling slyly, his smile touching his eyes as well. If she wasn't so annoyed, she might have even considered it cute.

"I'm not moping, I'm doing what I'm told."

"Moping."

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, moving to roll back the other way. As she turned to roll, she felt an arm slip under body and lift her up. "Hey!"

"Come on, you miserable sack of excuses." He hoisted her onto his shoulder, before turning and beginning to walk out of the room.

"Bucky!"

"Sgt Buchanan? What are you doing?" one of the nurses in the nurses station asked in confusion, looking at the pair with bewildered look on her face.

"Taking her for a walk outside, she needs some fresh air," Bucky answered honestly, stopping beside the booth.

The nurse furrowed her brow, looking from Bucky to Vielka. "He's kidnapping me, Beth, you'd better call Steve or T'Challa, before I beat the shit out of him and you're forced to take care of him too."

The nurse, Beth, raised her eyebrows slightly before an amused smile spread across her face. She looked back to Bucky. "Just make sure she's back before your watch change with Captain Rogers, ok?"

"Will do, see you later." He began walking down the corridor out of the hospital, much to Vielka's chagrin.

"What the hell, Bucky! Put me down! I'm not playing games, I will beat the shit out of you."

"It's for your own good, Vielka."

She began struggling, but he had grabbed her in such a way that her arms were pinned to her sides, and although she tried to kick out at him she couldn't seem to reach. "I'm going to beat the shit out of you, kill you, bring you back to life and then kill you again, when I get free Bucky!" she growled angrily as she tried to loosen herself from his grip.

"You're already starting to sound better," Bucky said with an amused tone to his voice.

"Put me down! This is embarrassing!"

"Really? That might explain why I'm enjoying it," he replied, not breaking his stride as she tried to knee him, but he managed to block it with his free hand. "Whoa, that was a close one."

"When I get free, I swear to god."

She couldn't see where he was taking her, because he had her slung over his shoulder backwards, but she could tell where he was going by the corridors that he took. At the moment, she figured they were headed to the gym.

According to her calculations, it was currently 5am, so the gym would be empty, but what on earth he would be taking her there for was beyond her comprehension.

"Seriously, Bucky, put me down," she said again, taking a different tact and trying to look at his face. "Your metal shoulder isn't exactly comfy, you know?"

"Will soon."

She clenched her jaw and rolled her eyes, slumping her body slightly, finally giving in to the long haired Super Soldier. He wasn't going to give up on this venture of his anytime soon, no matter how much she threatened to beat him.

Soon, she felt him stop, followed by the sound of a door being opened and a cold blast of air. She tensed as it hit her, her bare feet fully exposed. He continued walking, and she looked around.

They were outside, she could see the stars twinkling in the sky above The Facility when she craned her neck up, as he continued walking, becoming slightly concerned now. What exactly was his plan, here?

He finally stopped again, before she felt his titanium arm unwrap from around her and both his hands wrap around her waist, lifting her down from his shoulder. She felt the cold ground under her feet, wiggling her toes at the feeling, before looking around.

"Seriously, Bucky, what's the big idea?" she demanded, giving him a small shove with her hands.

He gave her a knowing smile, moving towards the edge of the helipad, and sitting down cross legged at the edge. She furrowed her brow, watching him the whole time, before glancing up as the first rays of the sun began to shine over the mountains in the distance.

The horizon was golden as those first rays peeped over, shining onto the deep green of the forest below, causing the shadows to sweep away. She stared, it felt like it had been forever since she had seen daylight, let alone the sunrise.

She sat cross-legged beside him, leaving a small distance between them, as the sun shone further into the valley below, slowly creeping along the ground like a bright blanket, lighting up the leaves of the trees. It didn't take long for the sun to finally reach them on the helipad, Vielka sighing as the sun's rays hit her face, and she closed her eyes and sighed, taking in the warmth the sun radiated.

She heard a quiet sigh from Bucky and opened her eyes, looking to him expectantly. He was staring at her, the slightest of smiles on his face.

 **oOOo**

Bucky watched her as she allowed herself to bask in the first rays of sunshine as it rose higher into the sky, her long black hair that was loose for once, blowing in the slight breeze that came with the rising sun. It was slightly breathtaking, to see the sun embrace the shape of her face, highlighting the alluring shape of her lips and the definition of her high cheek bones.

In the sunlight, he could see how flawless her skin was now, not a scratch or blemish to be seen anywhere.

When she looked at him suddenly, he realised he must have sighed out loud while admiring the pleasure on her face, the gold in her eyes shining brightly as the sun caught the irises of her eyes in its rays. It was mesmerising and he actually felt captured by them for a moment.

When he realised he was staring, he gave a small laugh, feeling bashful and looking back towards the sun. "I thought this might cheer you up," he murmured, looking back to the rainforest below them.

He could practically hear the eye roll from her. "Yeah, yeah, good job. You're just lucky i didn't beat the shit out of you in the process."

"You wouldn't do that," he replied, leaning sideways towards her. She glanced at him expectantly. "You wouldn't have anyone to annoy you."

Yet again, an eye roll at his expense, making him laugh. She gave him a small grin, before looking back towards the sun rise. "You're going to get in trouble one day, Bucky."

"Maybe, it'll be worth it though," he replied also continuing to watch the sun rising.

He saw her turn her head slightly in the corner of his eye and could feel her eyes narrowing in on him. He cringed inwardly, the words had probably come out in such a way he hadn't intended them too, but he said nothing more, ignoring her eyes on him and focusing on the horizon.

* * *

 **I think I can get one more chapter out.**

 **Sadly, I never got to see Black Panther at the cinema, and in Australia, the DVD isn't released until the end of the month.**

 **As that is where this fic is going next, that means that the rest of the story won't be able to continue until then.**

 **I'm also debating whether to do a completely new fic for it, or just keep it all in one place.**

 **Decisions, decisions...**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay, last chapter for a one is rather longish.**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

 **Chapter 15**

Vielka sat on the edge of her bed as the doctor and T'Challa discussed the results from the last set of tests in front of her. While they were trying to include her in the conversation, she didn't actually care for the technical mumbo-jumbo, she just wanted a straight out answer.

"Am I going to die, or kill someone?" she asked flatly after awhile of back and forth between the doctor and T'Challa. They stared at her for a moment. "Well?"

"Uh, well, no..." the doctor replied slowly, looking to T'Challa with an unsure look on his face. "Your skin is virtually impenetrable, Vielka, but should you be struck by something Vibranium based it is possible to pierce the skin. And that's not to say that your bones are unbreakable, because they are, but it does seem that your body is capable of repairing itself at an unbelievably fast rate."

She pursed her lips, considering the doctor's words before standing up and looking at them both. "Very well, then if there's nothing else, I'll be going back to the living quarters upstairs."

With that she withdrew from the room, picking up her lone sword as she did. T'Challa was quick to move in front of the door though, an expectant look on his face, his hand held out in front of him. "You cannot use this sword anymore, Vielka. Should the enemy get their hands on it, they could use it against you."

She clenched her jaw and rolled her eyes, before placing the sword in his hand. He stepped out of her way and she swept from the room, without a backward glance.

 **oOOo**

Bucky was in the gym with Steve, spotting him while he did some weights.

"Nurse tells me you whisked Vielka out of the room the other morning," Steve said as he pushed the weight up over his body. Bucky didn't respond, continuing to spot his friend as he kept pushing the weight up off of him. "Said she came back with a huge smile on her face."

"I just took her outside, that's all, she needed to get some sunshine or she was going to be all mopey and unbearable."

Steve pushed the weight up once more, pushing it backward for Bucky to put back onto the weight stand. He sat up, looking back at Bucky. "How was she after?"

"Much better."

"Well, hopefully the docs and T'Challa have finished with the testing so she can get back into her daily routine. I know her type, stickler for a good routine. Eat, sleep, workout, repeat."

"And there's something wrong with that, because?" Vielka's voice interjected. Both Bucky and Steve turned to see Vielka standing in the doorway with some swords in hand. She was wearing her armoured body suit, an expectant look on her face as she walked into the gym. "Well?"

Steve grimaced slightly before attempting to answer her. "There's nothing wrong with that, I mean, it works."

"I don't see you doing any differently either," she sneered in reply as she walked over to the simulation room.

"Uh, are you sure you should be getting right back into it like that?" Bucky asked in mild concern, she had only recovered a couple of weeks ago after all.

"I'm fine," she replied looking over her shoulder as she opened the door. "I'm only doing a light one anyway, just to loosen up the muscles." She closed the door behind her, but still Bucky looked at the door.

"Oh, I see how it is," Steve said with a slight smirk, returning Bucky's attention to him.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

 **oOOo**

Vielka didn't leave the simulation room until she was certain Bucky and Steve had left. She wasn't quite ready for the looks of concern and constant badgering by the two Super Soldiers who seemed to treat her like she was their little sister or something. Steve was especially bad, always trying to help her.

She tolerated Bucky's attention, for reasons she wasn't sure of herself. Perhaps it was the fact that she could relate to him, and he her. Perhaps there was another reason for it that she wasn't aware of, but either way, she didn't want to deal with it today.

She opened the door and walked out. Her body ached, but she felt good, the familiar feeling making her feel like she was almost back to normal. Almost.

She looked at herself in the mirror along the gym wall, before quickly glancing around the gym. When she was certain no one else was there, she pulled down the neck of her armour slightly. Her skin was clean, unblemished, without even a raised bump or nick to be seen anywhere.

That didn't mean that all the scars were gone though, just the physical ones. She traced her finger along her neckline where her most prominent scar had been, it was silky smooth, not so much as a bump could be felt.

"It must feel good?" came Natasha's voice. Vielka looked towards the door in surprise to see the red haired, former spy walking in, her gym bag slung over her shoulder. "Being able to look at yourself without the scars anymore."

"Those scars still exist," she replied, turning to leave the gym herself. "They're just not visible anymore."

Natasha furrowed her brow as Vielka walked past. "Hey," she called, making Vielka stop and turn to look at the smaller red head expectantly. "If you ever need to talk about it, you know any of us would listen?"

Vielka raised an eyebrow, but gave a small smile. "Sure, thanks." With that she continued out of the gym and back to her room.

 **oOOo**

Vielka had to return to the hospital wing quite regularly for further testing and analysis. Eventually, T'Challa brought his little sister into do some studies of her own. She was again forced to sit through more poking and prodding as they worked to find out what had happened to her and how it had affected her body.

Finally, one day, she was called to the hospital wing, with Bucky and Steve in tow. She had been quite happy to go along on her own but Shuri had wanted both Super Soldiers present as she had performed some testing on them too, without Vielka's knowledge. T'Challa was waiting down there with a doctor and Shuri.

"This ought to be good," Bucky heard Vielka mutter under her breath, a tone of annoyance audible.

"Good morning, Vielka, James, Steve" T'Challa greeted, motioning for Vielka to take her place on the bed as per normal.

"Yeah, get on with it," Vielka sneered impatiently, doing as asked. T'Challa raised an eyebrow, but didn't address her mood.

"Shuri, please?" T'Challa motioned to his younger sister who nodded and looked from Vielka to the two other super soldiers.

"Well, we've discovered two things. As you already know, your skin has indeed become infused with the Vibranium, which means it is impenetrable to any element but Vibranium," Shuri began to explain. "It is amazing that it has maintained its appearance and feel, although gained this strange trait."

"How is that possible?" Steve asked curiously, earning him a disgruntled look from Vielka.

"Well, that's where the second discovery comes in," T'Challa answered, moving a bead on his wrist, before motioning to two hologram blood samples that appeared before them.

Shuri stepped forward and pointed to one of the samples. "This picture on the left is the blood of Captain America, it has mutated after the introduction of the serum that was developed by Doctor Abraham Erskine for use on Private Steve Rogers in 1941." Bucky narrowed his eyes. This was what was used on Steve to turn him into Captain America. He then looked at the second image. It was very similar, with no real obvious difference. "And this, is Sergeant Barnes' blood," Shuri said motioning to the second.

"Well, I guess that proves that HYDRA did find a way to mimic Dr Erskine's work," Steve said with a sigh, shaking his head. Bucky was enthralled with the two blood samples for a moment. So it was true, he had the same serum pumping through his veins as Steve.

"It would seem so," Shuri answered as she played with a hologram that appeared before her, pushing it in between the two other blood samples. It held similar traits as the previous two, but there was some obvious differences in the sample as well.

"And that's mine, I take it?" Vielka asked, cocking her head to the side as she analysed the sample, her golden brown eyes narrowing.

"Yes, while your blood clearly features similar traits, there was something else added to the serum that was used on you, that has made it adaptive."

So that was it, her body was adapting to keep her alive.

Bucky glanced sideways at her, she looked contemplative, pressing her lips together in a straight line. He couldn't get a read on her, what was she thinking right now?

"Basically, it appears that the doctor and Red did indeed, want you to be indestructible, Vielka," T'Challa explained simply.

"Joy." She sighed, before looking back at Shuri. "What about the aging process?"

"As far as I can tell, you are aging much slower than an average person, but it is not something I can give you a definitive answer on. I would have to do some testing, but it would take much time to give you a firm answer," Shuri replied, shrugging her shoulders apologetically. She motioned to Steve and Bucky. "These two have both been iced at some stage to slow their process down, I would also need to analyse their aging process to figure out if the serum has affected that as well."

Vielka sighed again, looking from Steve to Bucky. Bucky could see the dismay in her eyes in the small moment that passed between them. She looked back at Shuri. "Whatever you need from me, Shuri."

 **oOOo**

Vielka sat on her bed, staring into space. She wasn't sure why hearing the words indestructible had made her angry. Perhaps it was because it meant that she was stuck being in the world now.

Before, she knew there was always a way out, if she wanted it, if she wanted to call it quits. Now, it seemed, that her body was going to keep regenerating itself whenever she was injured or even broken, as well as now having near impenetrable skin.

Her body was adaptive. Basically, she would continue to keep on changing to suit her surrounds. It had adapted to the Vibranium and now her skin was impenetrable to any material but Vibranium. Even then, her skin would heal itself ultra fast.

She didn't want to live forever. She wanted her life to run its course, she wanted to die one day, like a normal person. Now, even that had been taken away from her. She looked at the time. It was after midnight. She had been sitting there for a good six hours, just thinking about what the doctors had said.

Her body moved automatically, she got up and walked to her bedroom door, leaving and heading, first for the gym and then onto the helipad.

She stood overlooking the Wakandan forest below as the wind whipped her loose hair into a frenzy around her. The fresh air relaxed and calmed her frayed nerves as she listened for the sounds of the wildlife below her. She sat down, wrapping her arms around her legs and curling them up tightly in front of her.

She supposed if she had to live forever, this wasn't a bad place to live.

Forever, it was a foreboding thought, it was a long time. It meant she would outlive her family back in Australia, some of her friends here even. Sam, Clint, Natasha, Wanda, even T'Challa. She would be forced to watch them age, while she didn't change.

Then there was Steve and Bucky, while they certainly weren't aging like the others, they weren't impenetrable. They weren't indestructible, but at least if she could protect them she would have someone.

"Heh, I guess it's not all bad," she murmured with a scoff, resting her chin on her knees. She shivered slightly, she was only wearing her pyjamas, so distracted in her thoughts that she forgot to change or grab a coat. It was unusual for her to feel the cold, but with her body seeming to run at a warmer than normal temperature now, it was also slightly unsurprising.

A heavy coat was dropped around her shoulders, surprising her and making her jump. "What's not?" She turned her head slightly to see Bucky moving beside her.

She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment before answering. "Seriously, where is the tracking device?"

Bucky gave her a half smile before moving to sit beside her. They didn't speak for a few minutes, the sound of a couple of tigers warning each other, the only sound apart from the wind blowing the leaves of the trees below.

"I see why you come out here," he murmured quietly, calling her attention back to him. She glanced sideways, to see him staring at the trees below them. He seemed relaxed and peaceful as he looked down below them.

"It's a nice space to think, sometimes," she replied, turning to look back below. It was odd how comfortable she felt around Bucky now, considering how on edge she used to be at their first meeting.

She was very aware of the fact that he could still be triggered, but for some reason, that no longer bothered her. She glanced sideways at the burly man who sat cross legged next to her. She had been there when he triggered thanks to Helmut Zemo, even trading blows with him, she had also been there when he was trying to run from the authorities beforehand. It was her handiwork that slowed him down long enough for the authorities to catch up.

She wasn't sure if he remembered all that had past between them before, she didn't know how much he remembered in general. He had done a lot for her in the past few months, he had stuck by her throughout everything. It had her curious.

"Hey," she began, drawing his attention to her and she immediately felt bashful. "I was just wondering, how much of your past do you remember?"

He raised an eyebrow and looked at her in slight confusion. "Why?"

"I was just curious. I know they tended to wipe you between missions to make you complicit." She looked back down to the jungle below to avoid his troubled gaze, mentally scolding herself for being so nosey.

He was quiet for a moment and she thought he might not answer her. "Not much. Things come back every now and then. Good and bad. You've heard the bad most nights," he answered honestly. She gave a small nod of understanding, not sure whether she really wanted to pry more. "I find sometimes phrases can trigger particular memories too. A lot of the ones with Steve are triggered by phrases."

She raised her eyebrows. "Has that happened much while you've been here?"

"A few times." She considered that for a while. She hadn't noticed him behave differently at any point and Bucky must have noted an expression on her face that made him continue. "They're usually good memories from our days before the war. They don't have an adverse affect on me like the ones you've dealt with in the past." She gave a small smile, before looking away again. A moment of silence passed between them. "I do remember you."

Her eyebrows shot up again and she whipped her head to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"When I was triggered in Berlin. You were there and I...remember...grabbing you and trying to...hurt you," he replied remorsefully, looking away and refusing to meet her gaze. "The first time you tried to rouse me in my nightmare, I was dreaming about that. It's haunted me a lot since then."

Vielka was speechless and slightly ashamed of herself for bringing it up. She shuffled closer, trying to look into his face. She hesitantly reached for his shoulder, resting her hand there, feeling completely out of her depth.

"Mate, I would say forget about it, but I know well enough that's not easy." Bucky looked up slightly, a look of sadness in his eyes. "At the very least, I know YOU didn't mean it, not the real you."

"How can you be so sure that wasn't the real me?" he murmured looking over the horizon again.

"Well... you've not got the same look in your eyes now that you had then," she said quietly. He looked back to her curiously. "I've been there. And you've probably seen it in mine too," she leaned closer to joke with him. "Since you enjoyed that last amazing experience with ... me."

She faltered as she said the last words, remembering vividly what had happened the last time she had been put under. The feel of her lips crushing on his had her breath hitch and she struggled to shake the vision from her head. She quickly shifted back away from him again, realising that she was really close and it made her uncomfortable. She looked away quickly.

 **oOOo**

Bucky looked at Vielka as she shuffled away from him slightly, realising the same memory had struck her. Her cheeks were red and she looked ashamed, looking back down to the jungle. He too looked down below. "I hope you're right." He opted to revert to the previous subject at hand instead of bringing up the moment between them.

"Actions speak louder than words, you've proved to all of us you can be trusted," she answered moving to stand up.

Bucky watched her as she moved to stand up and went to hand him back his jacket. He stood and turned to face her. "And if I'm triggered?"

She bit her lip and looked at him thoughtfully, still holding the jacket. "I'll stop you from hurting anyone."

He looked at her seriously. "You will stop me for good, right? No matter what Steve or anyone else says?"

She furrowed her brow in concern but he took a step closer to her. "Promise me, you'll stop me by whatever means necessary, if I trigger again." She was the only one that truly understood what it was like, not being in any control or having no memory of your actions.

She hesitated but eventually answered. "I'll do what I can."

She moved to push the jacket into his hands, but he refused it, giving her a small smile. "You can hold onto it." She looked unsure but nodded before turning to return to her room, leaving him to his own thoughts.

 **oOOo**

It had been months since anything interesting had happened. They had menial taskings here and there, but Vielka was getting bored. Training could only entertain her for so long, and T'Challa refused to train with his claws out due to her new enhancement and so she found sparring with him dull.

Bucky would train with her, and she even once convinced Steve to join them at the same time, but she couldn't use her swords against them. It had been a good workout for her, and them, and her hand to hand skills had improved greatly for the session.

She went to linger in the gym, considering to do some work with the robots in the virtual training room. She wondered when Bucky and Shuri would be back, both had apparently been sent on a basic information gathering mission a few weeks back and Vielka had heard nothing of them since, it seemed neither had Natasha, Sam or Wanda.

Steve on the other hand, she sensed he knew something. Bucky had said Steve was a terrible liar, and Vielka had picked up on a few tells, but had yet to be able to get anything out of him. She had even asked T'Challa, but he was a much better liar then Steve and far more unaffected by Vielka's mere presence. Either way, she tried not to let it bother her too much. She had come to realise that maybe she had grown too comfortable with the former Winter Soldier. Too reliant perhaps even.

She was about to enter the training room when an alarm sounded throughout The Facility. Sprinting to the entry to the gym, she skidded to a stop in front of the intercom spot and hit the button. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"We've got a violent situation on level 1 and rising!" came a guard's voice. There was banging of something against concrete in the background, and it sounded heavy and dangerous.

"Disable the lifts and set this place to lockdown. I'm on my way," she replied and made her way to the fire escape. As she passed the tech room she grabbed an ear piece and activated it before opening the door to the exit, beginning to make her way down to the first floor. She had been on the 6th floor of the building, so had a few levels to get down.

She heard shouting coming from the third floor, which confused her. The lifts were disabled so there should have been no way for the 'situation' to make it to the third floor already. She pulled a sword from her back with her left hand and reefed open the third floor door with her right, before running through.

Just as she rounded the corner a body was flung towards her, making her skid along the ground to avoid it. She looked back to find a guard, struggling to get back up, before looking back to its origin. There was a Dora Milaje that she recognised, it was the general, Okoye, fighting alongside guards against someone she could not make out between the bodies that were trying subdue them.

She was quick to her feet again and rushing forward, but she hadn't run more than a few steps when Okoye was also thrown back forcefully, along with the other guards. Vielka dove out of the way, before turning to check on Okoye, finding her knocked out. It was surprising, even Vielka had not yet managed to do that.

She was angry now and turned to take on the assailant, but before she could do anything as she turned to face them, she froze in surprise.

"Bucky?" He stood several feet away, his head down slightly so his hair covered his eyes, but she could make out a scowl on his mouth. "Bucky? What's going on?" Vielka asked still confused by the scene before her. She took a few cautious steps towards him, keeping her sword in hand as a precaution. She got within arm's reach of him and still he didn't move or say anything.

"Banzai, he has been ... triggered..." she heard Okoye moan, but too late.

She went to raise her sword at the sound of Okoye's warning, but Bucky punched at her wrist with his titanium fist and although nothing broke, she still felt the immense pain from his powerful hit and dropped her sword.

She tried to kick out at him, but he swatted away her leg and swung at her, causing her to duck. He took the opening and reached out fiercely, grabbing her around the throat with his titanium hand. She felt the cold, hard metal press against her skin. The familiar pain as he began to squeeze had her grit her teeth and try to pry his fingers from her throat.

He began to lift her by her throat, his titanium fingers pressuring against her skin, and although he could not break her skin, she could feel her airways being pressed shut and breathing becoming difficult.

"Bucky!" she tried to cry out, continuing to attempt to pry open his fingers with her own hands, even though she knew his titanium and hydraulic powered arm was stronger than her.

She glanced at his face as she struggled. His eyes. The warmth that she normally saw in his stormy blue eyes whenever he looked at her, was gone, there was nothing but a vacant stare.

"Bucky! Snap out of it!" She began to try and kick out at him, but she was losing air and her kicks were becoming feeble from the lack of oxygen, having no effect on him. "Don't make me do this," she begged as she tried to pull herself up with her left hand and reached back for a sword with her right.

Her vision was starting to become cloudy as she finally wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her remaining sword. "James..." she breathed as she went to pull it from its sheath, small tears forming in her eyes.

All of a sudden, Bucky's eyes rolled into the back of his head and she felt the strength of his grip wain. He began collapsing to the floor, Vielka falling with him.

She managed to land on her feet, but fell sideways as she gasped for air.

She looked to Bucky, laying at her feet to see a syringe sticking up from his shoulder. Standing above him, was a dishevelled looking Shuri.

"Sorry..." She looked sheepish and gave a small smile that Vielka didn't return.

"What the hell is going on?" Vielka croaked, clutching at her neck, as she still tried to suck in some air, while Shuri bent down to pull the syringe from Bucky's shoulder and checked his pulse.

There were running footsteps behind her and she looked back to see T'Challa and Steve running through the fire escape door. "What happened?" They skidded to a stop and looked down at Bucky on the floor. "Oh..."

Vielka saw the guilty look on Steve's face and knew he had something to do with it straight away. "You tell me?" She demanded as Steve moved to help her to her feet, she swatted away his hand and stood up unsteadily, still rubbing her neck where Bucky had grabbed her.

It didn't take long until they were in one of the medical rooms back on the 1st floor, with Bucky lying on a bed to one side. They had taken precautions, securing his arm with a powerful magnet attached to a metal bar along the wall.

"You're doing what?" Vielka exclaimed angrily. "You've got to be kidding me! And you didn't think this scenario was a possibility?"

"Well... we did, but I thought I had planned for it, I may have made a miscalculation," Shuri admitted.

Vielka still couldn't believe her ears. They were messing with Bucky's head, trying to undo HYDRA's brainwashing. Shuri was in charge of the whole treatment, while Steve and T'Challa were both well aware of what was happening.

"We are doing what's best for him, Vielka," Steve said softly, trying to defend their actions.

"Are you actually kidding me? You're going to stand there and tell me you're only thinking of him? He could have killed someone! He nearly did! If I hadn't came along and distracted him, who knows what would have happened!" Steve took a step back, clearly not used to the rage of his fellow super soldier. She rounded on T'Challa next. "And YOU! You put your own sister and one of your most loyal and high ranking Dora in jeopardy! She could have DIED!"

"It was a miscalculation on my part, I take full responsibility," T'Challa said, ever as calm as always, and that just made Vielka angrier.

Shuri spoke up. "But Vielka, does he not deserve the same freedom from the horrible life that he experienced, like you have now?"

Vielka straightened, taking in every word Shuri had said before turning to look at the girl. She was far younger than herself, but incredibly intelligent, yet she clearly still had much to learn.

"You think I have escaped that life? You think that just because that device was taken out of me that I no longer have those memories or injuries inside my head? That I no longer see the faces of the men, women and children that died at my hands?" Shuri's mouth was now agape as she stared at the rage from Vielka, slowly beginning to back away slightly. She was no longer yelling, her voice had taken a cold and even edge to it, but she had not noticed. "Do you think Bucky will find solace in the fact he will no longer be brainwashed if he had killed one of his own allies in the process?" she all but whispered.

"Um..." Shuri stammered, before looking to her brother for help.

"It was my idea," came Bucky's voice. They all turned to look at the bed, where Bucky was now struggling to sit up, holding his head with his free hand. "I told her to test me, I was impatient with the treatment and thought perhaps it had worked quicker than her predicted timeline. Apparently, I was wrong."

 **oOOo**

Vielka narrowed her eyes at Bucky, and it had him feeling strangely anxious. Not that he was afraid she would strike at him, that wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest, but he feared...something. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

"Your idea? This whole thing?"

"Well, no, that was always my idea," Steve interjected, causing Vielka to glance at him. "I want my friend back."

Bucky smiled sadly at Steve, before looking back at Vielka. She looked from Steve to Bucky and then Shuri to T'Challa. She shook her head before swiftly exiting the room, leaving them in silence until there was a slamming door down the hallway.

Bucky felt his chest twinge with pain, at first he thought maybe someone had hit him there, but he then realised it didn't feel like that kind of pain. He had never seen her so mad, or disappointed before, the look on her face stuck with him.

"I will reason with her," Shuri said, beginning to leave the room, but T'Challa put a hand out to stop her.

"No, I think that is about as reasonable as Vielka will get," he said with a sigh, before looking back to Bucky. "Take Bucky to the Southern research facility. It's on a skeleton crew, I will send Dora with you for safety, no testing without myself there."

Bucky didn't say anything but looked to the ground sadly. He understood why she was angry, but he wished he could talk with her, to try and explain. He then realised he could probably never explain it to her now.

 **oOOo**

Vielka sat in Gaia's lab drinking a can of coke to settle her frayed nerves. Thankfully, Gaia kept a secret stock of the drink that was not readily available in Wakanda.

"So you're telling me Shuri was the one to trigger him?" Gaia asked as she worked on some type of small electrical device. Gaia had chosen to stay in Wakanda and join T'Challa and Shuri's scientific branch, so Vielka spent at least an hour a day visiting the old woman.

Vielka nodded, not saying anything.

"So, he wants to be free, like you?"

Vielka rolled her eyes and sighed. "Don't make me out to be the bad guy. Mine was straight forward, his is far more dangerous and could end badly. As it is, he put Okoye in the hospital. Okoye, she's the toughest of the Dora Milaje."

"I see what you're saying Vielka, it's a risky endeavour, but you can hardly blame him for wanting to be rid of the burden and fear associated with the brainwashing. Nor can you blame Steve, T'Challa and Shuri for wanting to help."

Vielka glared at Gaia. "He put ten guards in the hospital, as well as Okoye!"

"So perhaps they should have had a better security set up." Gaia narrowed her eyes at Vielka and stopped working on the device, putting her tools down. She leant on the work table and looked Vielka straight in the eyes. "This isn't about what happened, is it?"

Vielka leaned back and furrowed her brow at the old woman. "What are you talking about?"

"You're not angry because of Okoye and the guards." Vielka looked at Gaia in confusion. "You're angry because he didn't tell you."

Vielka pulled a face and shook her head. "Don't be absurd." She drained the last of her coke, throwing the empty can the 10 feet to the bin, acing the shot, before standing and turning to leave.

"You can act tough in front of everyone else, Vielka, but I know you, girl," Gaia called after her in an amused tone.

Vielka rolled her eyes as she pushed open the door and left the lab.

* * *

 **Okay kids, thats it from me for now.**

 **So the timeline I've got set now means the next story line will be the Black Panther storyline. I've already got some ideas on what's going to happen there, but as mentioned previously, the movie isn't released to DVD or blu-ray in Australia until like the 27th May or some ridiculous date (and it is annoying me greatly that!)**

 **Soooo...maybe just read through the two stories again until then?**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	16. Chapter 16

**Ahoy there!**

 **Back at it again, and loving it.**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 16**

Vielka waited patiently on the landing pad for T'challa's jet to land, beside Ramonda and Shuri. She had been unwillingly left behind while T'challa and Okoye had gone to pull Nakia out of an undercover mission, in preparation for the Challenge day ceremony for T'challa's official coronation, she was needed to represent her tribe.

The rest of the Dora Milaje was also there, standing at attention along the side of the landing pad. While there was no love lost between Vielka and the Dora, there was a mutual understanding between them now, after the events in Berlin. T'challa had been mindful to keep the events in Austria well under wraps. All respected her well enough, except Nakia.

She had taken to spy work after T'chaka's death, although Vielka suspected it might have had something to do with the fact she had been the one to accompany T'challa on his quest for revenge.

T'challa, Okoye and Nakia dismounted the aircraft, the Dora saluting their king and their general, Okoye.

Nakia moved to greet Ramonda, bowing to her and taking her hands. "It is good to have you back with us, Nakia."

Nakia smiled to the queen and Shuri. "It is good to be home, again." Her eyes drifted to Vielka. The taller Australian met her gaze, and was mildly surprised by the lack of distrust and jealousy in the small Wakandan woman's eyes. She gave the slightest of nods to the Wakandan spy, who returned the gesture.

Okoye looked to one of her Dora Milaje. "Take her to the river province to prepare her for the river ceremony," she ordered.

"Yes, General," she replied, saluting with a hand across her chest and a bow of her head, before looking seriously to Nakia and motioning for her to follow.

Shuri looked back to Okoye, smirking slightly. "Did he freeze?"

"Like an antelope in headlights," Okoye replied grinning. Vielka tried to hide a laugh by biting her lip, but she still earned a glare from T'challa. Ramonda also had a fleeting grin cross her lips but was quick to regain her composure.

T'challa looked back to Okoye, who was still grinning as Shuri laughed at her brother. "Are you finished?" Okoye continued smiling, as she slammed the end of her spear on the ground twice, causing her Dora to turn sharply and begin to march away.

T'challa looked to his sister with a smirk on his face. "So surprised, my little sister has come to see me off before the big day."

Shuri rolled her eyes. "You wish, I have come for the EMP beads, I have come up with an update for them."

"Update? No, they worked perfectly," T'challa replied sceptically.

"How many times do I have to teach you, just because something works, doesn't mean it cannot be improved. Besides, you're going to need them when you hear what Vielka has to report."

"You are teaching me? What do you know?" T'challa handed her his beads with a slight smirk on his face as she turned and began to walk away.

"More than you," she muttered as she turned.

"I can't wait to see what kind of update you have come up with, for your ceremonial outfit!" He called after her. Shuri stuck her middle finger up as she continued to leave, causing T'challa to gape at her retreating back.

"Shuri!" Ramonda called, without even turning to watch her daughter, making Vielka smirk slightly. She liked the Queen Mother, she was tough in her own right.

"Sorry mother," Shuri called back, quickly hiding her hands in front of her.

T'challa glanced expectantly at Vielka, but she shook her head, looking pointedly to the Queen Mother standing in front of her. Ramonda stepped forward to greet her son, embracing him quickly. When she stepped back she looked at him seriously. "My son, now is your time."

"Yes, mother."

"We must prepare for the Challenge ceremony. I shall take Vielka to fit her for a traditional armour."

Vielka's head snapped to look at the Queen mother. "Whoa! Hang on a minute, I didn't sign up for that," Vielka objected in exasperation.

"I don't think that is really necessary, is it?" T'challa agreed. "She is not tied to our traditions."

"Oh, but T'challa, she is now. While you wear the mantle of king of Wakanda, she holds the title of the protector of the Black Panther, which indeed, makes her one of us," Ramonda replied.

Vielka had to subdue the urge to roll her eyes at the Queen Mother's reasoning. "You should tell the Dora Milaje and tribesmen that. They aren't going to like that at all."

"Their respect for you will come in time, as advanced as Wakanda is, my dear, there will always be opposition to change," Ramonda replied. "Now come, we have the perfect armour for you."

Vielka glanced sideways at T'challa, who looked apologetic and grimaced in reply, before shrugging to show it was out of his control.

Vielka sighed. "Very well..." The Queen mother smiled before turning and leading Vielka away.

 **oOOo**

Vielka was standing towards the back of the royal barge heading towards Warrior Falls. Already, she felt immensely uncomfortable in her surrounds, and the traditional style armour she had been given to wear made her feel no less uncomfortable either. The armour was a beaded, black and grey coloured two piece outfit, but she felt like she was extremely exposed, an inch of her midriff was on show and her arms uncovered. Ramonda had explained that the armour was just for show, she would not be needing it for protection, which was good because it wasn't going to be saving her from anything. And the lines of beads that hung from the straps down her arms were annoying, at best.

She watched as the Dora and council members danced traditionally towards the front of the barge, heading for the edge of the waterfall. Their barge was being followed by several others, with representatives from all the tribes of Wakanda present, she was told.

As the Dora danced, the barge came to a stop and the Dora all slammed down the ends of their spears. Vielka watched with interest as several whirlpools appeared in the water before the falls, beginning to essential stop the water fall to barely a trickle.

Ramonda looked towards the back of the barge from her position at the front, before motioning for Vielka to join her as she disembarked the barge. Vielka sighed, before doing as asked. As she went to disembark, Okoye stopped her, holding a spear across Vielka's path, drawing a perturbed look from the usually stoic Australian.

"You will need this." Vielka raised her eyebrows in surprise, but took the spear from the General, before making her way after Ramonda and Shuri.

They led her through a small hole in the rock formation that made the waterfall, heading down steep stairs until they emerged into the bright sunlight again.

They were on a large ledge that would usually be hidden by the raging waters of the fall, and Vielka turned and looked up at the rock face. It was lined with the people of the four tribes of Wakanda, a wall of vibrant colours. It was quite a spectacle for her to see, as the tribes people began to sing and dance again.

"What do you think?" Ramonda asked Vielka, leaning towards her to draw her attention.

"It's something else, I've seen a lot, but Wakanda seems to bring me something new all the time."

Ramonda smiled knowingly as they turned to watch a jet landing to one side of the rock ledge. The back ramp lowered and T'challa emerged, shirtless with ritual paint on his bare skin, a traditional woven and wood shield and short spear in his hands.

Vielka watched as he looked about the falls, taking in the moment before his eyes fell upon the three women, standing in front of the Dora Milaje. He smiled grimly, before walking towards Zuri, the ceremonial elder, to begin the ritual.

Vielka watched as T'challa was made to drink a solution, to drain him of the power of the Black Panther. It was almost painful to watch, as he seemed to writhe, his veins blackening as the enhancement was stripped from his body. Vielka found it fascinating as she had never seen anything like that before. She turned to see all tribes people around her continued to dance, not even perturbed by the display.

Once he had calmed again, he stood and looked to the falls with determination on his face.

" _Praise the ancestors."_

Zuri looked to the tribes around them. "Victory, in ritual combat, comes by yield, or by death." Vielka sucked in a breath. They had neglected to mention that small detail to her.

"If any tribe wishes to put forward a warrior, I now offer a path to the throne," Zuri said, motioning towards T'challa.

Vielka looked around at the tribes expectantly. She saw a warrior to the left of the falls step forward, and Vielka bit her lip nervously.

"Do not worry," Ramonda whispered to Vielka, leaning towards her again. "Very rarely does battle take place, it is just a formality." Sure enough, all four tribes passed over the opportunity for ritual battle against T'challa.

Zuri stepped forward again. "Is there any member here of royal blood, who wishes to challenge for the throne?"

Vielka saw movement in the corner of her eye and turned to see Shuri, on the other side of Ramonda, raising her hand slowly. She had a bored look on her face as the tribes people that lined the rock face gasped.

"This corset is really uncomfortable, so could we all just wrap it up and go home?" She shouted, looking around before her mother pinched her elbow. There were groans and murmuring all about the falls, and T'challa grinned up at his sister too. Vielka did her best to stifle a laugh, looking to the ground quickly and biting her bottom lip. The kid wasn't wrong, these outfits were uncomfortable.

She froze then, hearing shouting from the passage where they had entered the falls. It sounded like barking of some sort. She narrowed her eyes and turned to look to the entrance, as did the others including T'challa and Zuri.

The barking soon turned to chanting and banging of ritual drums, as several large men, their dark skins painted with white ochre, appeared from the darkness of the passage.

Vielka gripped the spear tighter as she felt the mood within the falls grow slightly tense, automatically moving to stand in front of Ramonda slightly, as the men walked to stand in the waters pooling at the base of the rock face.

The last one was the biggest of them all, he was leading the chant and wore a wooden mask over his face that bore a resemblance to a gorilla.

She heard Shuri whisper to her mother as Ramonda pulled Vielka back gently. "Are they J'Abari?"

"Yes."

The masked man strode confidently to T'challa, continuing to chant until he was right in front of him. He pulled the mask from his face, a grim and determined look on his face.

"M'Baku, what are you doing here?" Zuri demanded moving closer to T'challa and looking to the newcomer.

The newcomer, M'Baku, looked to Zuri, a pointed look on his face. He motioned towards the water fall. "It's Challenge Day." He turned, facing the wall of people and looking around them. "We have watched and listened from the mountains! We have watched with disgust as your technological advancements have been overseen by a child! Who scoffs at tradition!" He pointed to Shuri, before his gaze fell on Vielka.

"Vielka..." Ramonda whispered, reaching for both Shuri and Vielka's hands.

Vielka knew Ramonda could sense her anxiousness rising slightly as the man took her in, narrowing his eyes on her. She was trying to stop Vielka from doing something stupid. In this ritual armour, she felt very exposed, and the way M'Baku leered at her was doing him no favours.

"We have seen, you bring a foreigner into these lands against our laws, and then, break our traditions by having her fight by the Black Panther's side? A foreigner? And now, she is here, in our garbs, making a mockery of our rituals!" He stepped towards her, and much to Vielka's surprise, the Dora's spears turned sharply to point at him simultaneously as Vielka moved to stand in front of Ramonda and Shuri protectively again.

It seemed he too was mildly surprised, as he glared from her to the Dora, before back to her. She raised her eyebrows at him, challenging him to step forward again, but he turned away. He looked back to T'challa and Vielka took a breath, as the Dora returned to their positions and Ramonda pulled Vielka back towards her.

"And now you want to hand over the nation over to this prince," he shouted mockingly as he walked towards T'challa. "Who could not keep his own father safe." T'challa glared back up at M'Baku, unmoved by his speech. "Mmm. We will not have it. I said, we will not have it!"

He stepped away from T'challa, a sneer on his face as he looked at him. "I, M'Baku, leader of the J'Abari-"

"I accept your challenge, M'Baku," T'challa replied, cutting the bigger man off.

Vielka furrowed her brow, looking to Ramonda, she looked nervous, frightened even, and that set Vielka on edge.

M'Baku gave a malevolent smile. "Glory to Hanuman." He moved away, returning to stand by his men.

* * *

 **Short chapter to get back into it.**

 **Taking a little bit to get my momentum back, but I'm sure I'll get there.**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	17. Chapter 17

**Afternoon everyone! Or evening, or morning...**

 **Many thanks to all those still following along with this fic**

 **xo**

 **Enjoy**

* * *

 **Chapter 17**

By now, Vielka was on edge as she watched the J'Abari man as he replaced his mask and Zuri lowered a wooden panther mask over T'challa's head.

They stood facing each other, before the J'Abari man shouted to his men, who ran to stand behind him.

" _Dora Milaje, onwards!"_ T'challa shouted in his native tongue. The six most senior Dora, excluding Okoye, moved to stand behind T'challa and with the J'Abari men, created a semi circle around the two leaders. Vielka could see what the aim was here.

It was a fight to yield or death, and obviously death could come from falling off the falls.

The ritual battle began, and M'Baku was straight in attacking T'challa. Vielka looked to Ramonda as they continued to battle fiercely, a thought crossing her mind that made her nervous. "What exactly is going to happen to me if, hypothetically, M'Baku wins?"

Ramonda glanced at Vielka with a confused look on her face, as did Shuri. "What do you mean?"

"My job is to protect the Black Panther. If M'Baku wins..."

Ramonda's eyes widened and she looked from Vielka back down to the battle, as M'Baku knocked T'challa from his feet with a strong swing of his club. T'challa was quick to get back to his feet, dodging M'Baku's club again, before attacking him with his spear and battering him with his shield.

Vielka noticed that every time one of the combatants was knocked from their feet, the semi circle would close in on them, as M'Baku was knocked from his feet. There were shouts and cheers from the tribespeople as they watched.

T'challa found himself unarmed then, but Vielka smirked slightly. Unarmed, T'challa was far more dangerous than when he was armed. He parried M'Baku's attack easily, flipping and kicking him. M'Baku was big, but T'challa was quick.

Although, not quick enough, as M'Baku managed to slip between T'challa's guard, grabbing him in a tight bear hug and squeezing, before battering him with head butt after head butt. "No powers, no claws, no special suit. Just a boy, not fit to lead!" M'Baku mocked loudly, as he squeezed him tightly, causing T'challa to scream in pain.

Ramonda and Shuri shouted encouragement to T'challa, Vielka remaining solemn beside them. "Show him who you are!" Ramonda shouted, as the gathered tribespeople began to chant T'challa's name, over and over.

T'challa seemed motivated by his mother's words and the support of the tribespeople, forcing himself forward and striking at M'Baku repeatedly with his elbow, connecting with M'Baku's face, causing him to loosen his grip. T'challa continued to hit him with his elbow, cracking his mask once, then a second time, before grabbing M'Baku's head and forcing it down onto his knee with great force. M'Baku stumbled back his wooden mask falling away, touching his face and seeing blood on his hands.

Vielka shifted forward in anticipation to the fight coming to an end soon.

M'Baku was enraged and ran towards him, thrusting the end of his club at T'challa as the Wakandan Prince also ran towards him. The sharp wooden end of his club plunged into T'challa's shoulder, causing him to shout in pain. There were gasps all around the waterfall and Vielka had to do her best to refrain from jumping down to assist T'challa.

"T'challa!" Shuri shouted in exasperation, watching as her brother worked to hold M'Baku at bay and prevent the injury from becoming any deeper. Shuri turned to Vielka. "He needs help!"

"No, Banzai cannot intervene," Okoye warned, looking to Vielka warningly.

"She's right, I can't get involved. He's fighting as T'challa, not the Black Panther," Vielka replied ruefully continuing to watch. "My duties are to the Black Panther."

Shuri stared at Vielka in exasperation before looking back to the fight. "Come on, T'challa!"

It seemed that's all he needed. "I am Prince T'challa! Prince of Wakanda!"

He forced the end of M'Baku's club from his shoulder, before flipping and knocking M'Baku backwards. He was quick back to his feet but T'challa was quicker, grabbing M'Baku's arm, and flipping him onto his back. Soon, the semi circle of warriors, their sharp spears raised, was closing in on the pair as they edged towards the end of the cliff ledge, T'challa pinning M'Baku into a submission hold.

"Come on, T'challa, finish him!" Ramonda and Shuri began to shout.

"What is taking him so long?" Shuri demanded.

"He's being merciful," Vielka replied, crossing her arms across her chest. Ramonda looked at Vielka in surprise. "All the greatest kings across the world have been merciful men. T'challa seeks to be the same." Vielka smiled. She remembered the conversation she'd had with him a while ago, concerning his want for revenge. It seemed he might have actually listened to her more closely than she thought he had.

Vielka watched in anticipation, as T'challa tightened his hold on M'Baku, murmuring to the bigger man the whole time as they edged closer to the waterfalls edge.

Finally, M'Baku tapped T'challa's leg.

There was an eruption of cheers throughout the waterfall as T'challa was celebrated as the winner.

Vielka, however, watched the J'Abari leader as he was seen to by his men. The man looked disheartened, as he was led away. As he walked towards the passage to leave, he looked up, his gaze falling on Vielka again.

She stared back at him, careful to keep her face emotionless as she looked at him. He narrowed his eyes at her before looking away.

* * *

She was glad to be out of the traditional Wakandan ceremonial outfit. While she willingly wore the outfit at the bidding of Ramonda, the strange clothing left her feeling very exposed, particularly at the arrival of M'Baku and his tribesman.

She was now dressed back in her familiar black body suit. It was her personal choice in outfit, that made her recognisable as not being one of the Dora Milaje while moving about Golden City. While not being armoured, it was still functional and conservative. Ramonda had requested she not carry her swords throughout the palace, but that didn't stop her from carrying a knife on her hip, or the little knife hidden in her boot. She felt that if the Dora can be armed, then so can she, just not so obviously.

Vielka had returned to the palace after the events in Austria and at the lab of The Facility, as T'challa turned his attention back to national matters leading up to his coronation as Wakandan King. While she was only supposed to be the guardian of the Black Panther, occasionally she dabbled in the intelligence side of things when T'challa had royal duties to attend to which didn't require her presence, and this required her to move about to different parts of the palace and even as far as different tribes on the odd occasion. She found it all very refreshing work, after the past few months.

After the events in The Facility lab with Bucky, he had been moved to another smaller facility, away from everyone and Shuri continued her work on him there, splitting her time between the Wakanda Design Group, where she was now chief designer, and the southern facility.

She heard scuffing footsteps enter the throne room, where she was looking out the window overlooking the plains of Wakanda.

"What news do you have?"

She turned to see T'challa stride into the room, dressed in traditional royal garbs. She had been told by Ramonda, that he was to be taken to be blessed with the powers of the Black Panther again, in a secret ritual that Vielka could not be privy to. From his near flawless appearance after ritual battle, she had to assume the secret blessing had been completed.

"News on one Ulysses Klaue was flagged by your intelligence analysts in London," Vielka answered, as they began walking towards the back of the palace and the landing bays.

T'challa looked at her sharply at the mention of the name. "Klaue? What did our War Dog there have to say?"

Vielka moved a bead from her wrist into her hand, bringing up a small astral projection of an ancient weapon, and read the file. "He stole a misidentified Wakandan artefact from a museum in London. And, it's believed it may have been Vibranium based."

"He still hunts for our resources," T'challa murmured.

"Your Asia based War Dog reports that Klaue has a meeting with an American buyer in Busan, South Korea," Vielka continued, pressing the bead again and shutting off the projection before returning the bead to her wrist.

"Very well, send word to Okoye, she and Nakia will join us in Korea to bring in Klaue, finally," T'challa ordered.

Vielka stopped short, looking pointedly at T'challa. "Nakia?"

"Yes, she has contacts in South Korea, she can help us get in. Don't worry, she is good at her job," he answered pointedly, before considering Vielka for a moment. "And how are you, Vielka?"

"Fine, just dandy," she replied, furrowing her brow slightly at his line of questioning. He tended to ask her that a lot, ever since the incident with Bucky. It annoyed her.

He looked at her for a moment longer before looking away. "I shall meet you in the lab to see Shuri's latest updates. I have to speak to W'Kabi."

She nodded once before heading towards the landing bays, to make the flight over to the Vibranium mine and Wakanda Design Group labs.

Her relationship with Shuri was still quite stand offish, made worse by the incident with Bucky. The teen still tried to make amends, but Vielka felt more annoyed by her for it. She was well aware that the teen found her fascinating and possibly even looked up to her, but it was not something Vielka was inclined to accept. She didn't consider herself someone who any child should look up to, if they knew the truth.

 **oOOo**

T'challa arrived to the lab to find Vielka waiting outside, just off the landing pad. She was leaning against the wall, playfully spinning a knife in one hand. He smirked, his mother had tried to unarm her while she was in the palace, but Vielka was comforted by armour and weapons, it was her safe place.

He could tell by the blade that it was plain steel. He had ordered for all her weapons to be made from steel or tungsten after the discovery of her body's changes, to prevent her own weapons being used against her in battle by their enemies.

She looked up when she heard him coming, catching her knife again and replacing it in her boot. He nodded to her as he drew level. "Mother will not be pleased to see you armed, Vielka," he scolded her lightly.

"She said no swords, she didn't say anything about knives."

T'challa sighed and shook his head while Vielka raised her eyebrows at him teasingly, as he continued towards the lab. "Have you notified Okoye and Nakia?"

"Okoye has been notified and is preparing with Nakia as we speak." Vielka followed T'challa into the lab, keeping a few steps behind him.

The Dora that lined the halls leading to the lab saluted their king as they walked past, but he knew their eyes followed Vielka. Although they respected her position, they still were wary of her as an outsider.

T'challa walked towards his sister, who turned and smiled when she saw him.

Shuri pretended to bow. "My king."

"Stop it, stop it," T'challa said, looking warningly at the Wakandan princess, before they greeted each other with their usual handshake and Wakandan salute. Shuri's eyes drifted to Vielka and she gave a short nod, looking anxiously at her.

Vielka returned the silent greeting. While she was ever courteous to the young royal, T'challa had noticed she was more stand offish towards his teen sister ever since the run in with Sergeant Barnes. He blamed himself for that, they had been careless and Vielka had been on the receiving end because of it. He was certain she had forgiven everyone involved, but she wasn't one to forget.

There was no reason for Shuri to be nervous around her though. She was an adult and a professional, she wouldn't let her emotions get in the way of her job. T'challa wondered if his sister's nerves also had something to do with the fact that Shuri looked up to the Australian woman, he knew she was fascinated with her and her story. Shuri was the only person in the Wakandan palace to know Vielka's full story, and what happened in Austria, as it was near impossible to keep anything secret from the teen genius.

Vielka returned the nod to Shuri, before moving to lean against a work bench, glancing over to look at what one of the engineers were doing for a moment.

Shuri led T'challa further into the lab. "I have already sent a car ahead into Busan for you. Who are you taking with you to Korea?"

"Vielka, Okoye..." he paused for a moment, looking to see if Vielka was looking. He saw her picking up a bead from the bench and murmuring to the engineer nearest to her. "And Nakia, as well."

Shuri hesitated for a moment, furrowing her brow before continuing. "Are you sure it's a good idea to take your ex on a mission?"

T'challa heard the sound of metal hitting metal, turning to see Vielka had dropped the bead, causing it to short out the lights beneath the floor. She quickly bent over to pick it up, looking apologetic and slightly ashamed.

He turned back to look at his sister, who was looking at Vielka with an amused expression on her face. "Yes," T'challa replied, continuing to walk through the lab. "We'll be fine, besides, you will be on call in case we will need back up."

"Yes!" Shuri cheered under her breath with a grin. She strode ahead of him as Vielka moved to join them, ambling slowly through the lab and looking at all the tech that littered the lab. "I have great things to show you, brother." Shuri moved to a bench and picked up a small case of small, round pins. "Here are your communication devices for Korea. They are unlimited range, also equipped with an audio surveillance system."

Vielka stopped behind them and T'challa handed the case to her, as Shuri led them further into the lab. "And check this out." She picked up a dark coloured, half sphere device. "Remote access Kimoyo beads, updated to give direct interface with my sand table."

He looked back at Vielka who nodded once, and they continued walking through the lab. He pointed at what appeared to be the soles of some shoes. "And what are these?"

"The real question is..." Shuri began, looking down at T'challa's feet. "What are THOSE?" She motioned to his sandals. T'challa chuckled slightly as did Vielka. "Why do you have your toes out in my lab?"

"What, you don't like my royal sandals?" He asked, lifting his foot up onto a stool. "I wanted to go old school."

Shuri smirked. "I bet the elders loved that." T'challa laughed and put his foot back down on the ground. Shuri picked up the soles and placed them on the ground. "Try them."

T'challa removed his feet from his sandals and stood on the soles, which immediately built up around his ankles. Vielka raised an eyebrow as she analysed them, cocking her head to one side and crouching to look at them.

"Fully automated, like the old American movie Baba used to watch." T'challa nodded, appearing impressed, recalling the scene from 'Back to the Future' that his father used to love to watch. "And I made them completely sound absorbent."

T'challa raised his eyebrows and looked at Vielka. She frowned and looked back up at him. "Move, stamp your foot or something." T'challa did as she said, stomping his foot, but barely an audible noise was made. "Nice."

"Interesting," T'challa agreed. He looked back at Shuri as Vielka stood back up.

"Guess what I call them," Shuri said, grinning as both T'challa and Vielka looked back towards her. "Sneak-ers." Vielka rolled her eyes and sighed, folding her arms across her chest while T'challa just looked at his sister in a bemused manner. Shuri looked between the two expectantly. "Because you..." She pursed her lips and sighed. "Never mind." She moved along, T'challa and Vielka following behind her.

She led them to the centre of the lab, towards three dummies. "If you're going to take on Klaue, you'll need the best the design group has to offer." She motioned to the first dummy, featuring the familiar Black Panther armour. "Exhibit A."

"My design," T'challa added in a matter-of-fact manner, as he and Vielka stopped on either side of Shuri.

"Old tech," Shuri commented.

"Old?" he demanded, offended at her dismissal of his pride and joy prior to taking the mantle of king.

"Functional," Shuri offered in response before continuing. "But old. Hey, people are shooting at me, oh wait, let me put on my helmet," she mocked, pretending to put a helmet over his head.

He swatted her hands away. "Alright, enough," T'challa warned his sister, who just laughed in response. Vielka tried to suppress a laugh, unsuccessfully, earning her a pointed glare from T'challa to which she shrugged innocently.

Shuri motioned towards the two other dummies. One wore a necklace of silver teeth, the other a larger one of gold. "Now, look at these." T'challa and Vielka both analysed the two dummies, T'challa moved closer to look at the gold necklace. It was much larger than the silver, more like a collar than a necklace. It reminded him of the collar that adorned the god Bast's neckline in the tales of old. "Do you like that one?" Shuri asked as he looked closer at it.

"Tempting." He stepped back and looked pointedly at his sister. "But the idea is to not be noticed." He turned back to look at the dummy wearing the silver necklace. It was far less gaudy, appearing much slimmer and blended in a bit more to the body. "This one," he said.

Shuri moved closer to T'challa, as Vielka stepped back to give her space. Shuri held her Kimoyo bracelet up to T'challa's ear, pressing one of the beads.

"Now, tell it to go on."

T'challa looked at the necklace and thought the order in his mind, willing the armour to go on, and a second later a black layer of Vibranium thread armour began to form over the dummy, a purple sheen appearing as it spread all over. The armour covered the dummy from head to toe, forming the helmet of the Black Panther too.

"Whoooo," Shuri cheered excitedly. Vielka raised her eyebrows, glancing sideways at T'challa, looking impressed as he leaned closer for a better look. "The entire suit sits within the teeth of the necklace."

"Is that nanotech?" Vielka asked, leaning in closer for a better look at the armour clad dummy.

"You know nanotech?" Shuri asked in surprise.

"We had some experimental gear with us on occasion on exercises, plus the Americans had some Stark industries tech with them as well, we sometimes got to have a peek at." Vielka shrugged. He was mildly surprised at her knowledge of technology, although he knew he probably shouldn't be. She had taken to the Wakandan technology very quickly, and didn't seem fazed by it at all.

Shuri nodded slowly, clearly not expecting the super soldier to know about the technology before turning back to her brother. "It is lighter, thinner and improved from the old armour, quicker and easier to put on." She looked to her brother before she nodded towards the armoured dummy. "Strike it."

T'challa looked the armour up and down. "Anywhere?" He asked analysing the armour.

"Mmhmm," Shuri hummed in agreement, stepping back, Vielka following suit.

T'challa lined himself up, before aiming a kick to the mid section of the dummy. It flew backwards, landing across the lab.

"Not that hard, genius!" Shuri shouted in annoyance, running to regather the dummy from where it had landed.

T'challa looked to Vielka, furrowing his brow and shrugging in confusion. She raised her eyebrows in return, also shrugging. "You told me to strike it, you didn't say how hard," T'challa replied defensively as Shuri walked back towards them.

"I invite you to my lab and you just kick things around," Shuri bit back, her tone conveying her annoyance at her older brother. She replaced the dummy in the centre of the stand.

"Well, maybe you should make it a little stronger... hey..." T'challa retorted, before trailing off and narrowing his eyes at the armour as she replaced it.

"Hey, what's that?" Vielka asked, also noticing the purple highlight that had appeared where T'challa had struck the armour. He touched the purple highlight.

"The nanites absorb the kinetic energy and hold it in place for redistribution," Shuri explained, grinning.

"Very nice," T'challa replied, nodding, he was impressed at Shuri's advancement of their armour technology. She had been busy.

Shuri stepped back again, touching her Kimoyo beads once more. "Strike it again, in the same spot," she ordered. Shuri looked to Vielka and motioned for her to move back. Vielka obliged, folding her arms across her chest and watching the scene before her intently.

T'challa looked to Shuri narrowing his eyes and becoming somewhat suspicious as he noticed the astral projection appearing from her wrist. "You're recording?"

"For research purposes," Shuri replied, shrugging innocently.

T'challa stepped back and lined up another kick at the suit, he swung his leg across again, aiming in exactly the same spot as he had kicked before. This time, as his leg struck the armour, a purple wave of energy was forced out of the suit, hitting T'challa and sending him flying backwards. He landed heavily twenty feet away, and Shuri laughed loudly, as he struggled to sit up, pointing at Shuri. "Delete that footage!"

He looked to Vielka, to see her grinning, her eyes smiling as she laughed lightly at him. He hadn't seen Vielka laugh like that recently, it was a nice change to her usually sullen face.

Shuri laughed some more as she replayed the footage to herself. She eventually turned to Vielka as T'challa straightened out his tunic. "Uh, I made one for you too, but you seem more like a bracelets kind of woman," she said shyly, showing the bracelets lying on a work bench.

Vielka smirked, before offering a high five to the sixteen year old princess, which she returned with great vigour.

* * *

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	18. Chapter 18

**Evening!**

 **It feels good to be back at this story. Its coming along alright too.**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 18**

Vielka parked the Lexus she was driving on the side of the road, shutting off the engine and looking through her side mirror down the road behind her. She saw Okoye, T'challa and Nakia making their way towards the market main area of the market, listening through the comms devices as they talked amongst themselves. It had been decided that she should enter alone, as she looked so different from her Wakandan counterparts.

"Bast willing, we can get this over and done with quickly and I can get this ridiculous thing off my head," Okoye muttered in an annoyed tone, and Vielka watched as she tried to flick her head slightly to manoeuvre the wig on her head without touching it. Clearly, she lacked experience with long hair.

Okoye's behaviour had both Nakia and Vielka chuckling quietly.

"It looks nice, just whip it back and forth," Nakia joked, earning another chuckle from Vielka as she dropped her hand mirror back into her clutch, well aware of the reference Nakia was making.

"What?" Okoye replied incredulously. "It's a disgrace."

Vielka noticed as they disappeared from her view and took it as her cue. She opened the door of her car and slid out carefully, before re-adjusting the skirt of her dress to make sure none got caught in the car as she shut the door. She hated wearing dresses, but it was an essential part of their cover tonight, or so Nakia told them.

She slowly began making her way to the market area they were in, her eyes ever watchful around her for any sign of anything suspicious. Needless to say, with her lack of armour and weapons on hand, as well as her face uncovered, she felt slightly vulnerable and that had her on edge.

"I'll trade you the wig for this damn dress I'm in," Vielka muttered as she perused a souvenir stall close by. While she knew it was essential to their cover tonight, like Okoye and her wig, Vielka was most uncomfortable in the evening gown.

"It was the only one we had in your size that was more to your suited to you. It would have looked strange to put you into one of our dresses," Nakia replied as she walked ahead of T'challa and Okoye.

Vielka huffed slightly. Nakia had chosen a cobalt blue evening gown for her, with off the shoulder straps, a plunging neckline and duel splits in the long and flowy skirt, because she had nothing of the sort close at hand for such short notice. Her hair was loose too, draped in soft waves down her right shoulder, with an ear cuff on her exposed ear to help hide her communicator. The straps on the dress were going to be the biggest problem, if it came down to a fight.

While Shuri had assured her the dress looked fitting on her, Vielka felt ridiculous and it was impractical, especially in heels. The last time she was dressed like this...

She shook her head quickly, trying to rid herself of the memories from Austria and The Program re-invading her body.

"You know, if it comes down to a fight, this dress is not coming back unscathed," she murmured, trying to get her mind of her memories. She heard Okoye stifle a laugh, and she could just imagine the eye roll from T'challa.

"You complain a lot, Vielka," he murmured.

"Hey, I offered to be overwatch," she retorted quietly, before smiling at a shopkeeper who was watching her suspiciously. He blinked and stared at her in awe, so Vielka thought it best for her to move on quietly.

She tapped the side of her leg as she continued to walk along slowly, ensuring the fibreglass retractable stave was still there. Due to the style of her dress, she wasn't able to arm herself with her swords, but they were tucked away safely inside the car, which she had parked strategically, just in case they needed a quick exfil.

Once she was certain T'challa, Nakia and Okoye were inside the underground casino, she made her way to a short Korean woman with a severe looking face, working in a fruit stall in front of what appeared to be a fishmonger. That in itself told Vielka this place was a front, as the thought of cross contamination crossed her mind. The woman glanced up at Vielka, furrowing her brow as she took her in. _"Can I help you?"_

" _I have money to spend, and no-where to spend it. Do you have good stock?"_ Vielka asked pointedly in flawless Korean, giving a sly smile.

The Korean woman considered her for a moment, as Vielka slowly pulled a wad of ₩50,000 note from her clutch, for the woman to see.

She raised her eyebrows before smirking. _"We have very good stock here."_ She motioned to a man, sitting on a stoop behind her, who nodded and stood. Vielka carefully made her way past the bushels of fish, as the man held back a smelly tarp for her to pass through.

On the other side she found a dimly lit corridor, and at the end, two rather large, Asian men, dressed in fine suits with extremely serious looking faces. She smiled alluringly at them as she approached, before walking through the body scanner.

One of the men looked her up and down as she stood in front of him, his eyes lingering around her chest. She did her best to keep her alluring smile in place, resisting the urge to smack him across the face as he leered at her.

She bat her lashes in the guards direction, who grinned malevolently at her, before nodding to his counterpart, who pushed open the doors and motioned for her to enter.

" _Thank you,"_ she said sweetly to the second guard, who was nice enough to only look at her face and gave her an apologetic smile in return. She rolled her eyes to herself once she was past them before looking around.

Inside, was a large, ornately decorated room filled with gambling tables of different assortments on the ground floor, and a variety of tables, chairs and lounge areas on the balcony level around the outside, a couple of extra gambling tables and bars there too. She brushed her loose hair away from her face. "I'm in."

She looked across the room to the other side of the balcony, seeing T'challa, Okoye and Nakia there.

"Spread out, the buyer is likely already here," T'challa ordered. They immediately began to move, Nakia walking arm in arm with T'challa towards the gaming floor, while Okoye and Vielka walked the balcony.

Vielka looked down to the gambling floor, it was predominantly Asian clientele, so the one or two westerners on the floor stood out, but not as much as one in particular. She looked around the ground floor again, her eyes sweeping across the faces as she started spotting more people who seemed slightly out of place. A casually dressed woman whose eyes kept flicking to the centre of the gambling area, a man with really greasy looking hair who looked like he didn't get out much, not to mention the burly looking man drinking a glass of water at the bar.

Her eyes returned to the familiar face, narrowing at the grey haired man, who was dressed in a well pressed suit and carrying a metal briefcase, looking around anxiously.

"Eyes up, Americans," Nakia murmured from her spot at the bar. "I count three."

"Five," Okoye countered. "How could you miss grease lightning behind you?"

"Six. T'challa, the CIA is here," Vielka murmured, leaning against the railing of the balcony and watching Everett Ross as he sat at a Craps table.

"Are you sure?" He demanded in her ear.

"It's Everett Ross," she answered.

As if he could hear her, Everett Ross looked up, meeting her gaze. She smirked slightly, as she looked at him, careful not to look away in case it gave him reason to be suspicious of her. He had not seen her face before, so she was not afraid of being recognised for her involvement in the battle at Leipzig airport, due to her face being covered the entire time.

"Who is Everett Ross?" Okoye demanded.

"A friend," T'challa replied, as Vielka saw him starting to make his way over to the CIA agent in the corner of her eye. Vielka shot an alluring smile at Everett, earning raised eyebrows from him as he looked around to see if she had been looking at anyone else, seeing T'challa coming towards him. She turned away and looked back along the balcony she was standing on, keeping an eye out for Klaue, while still watching T'Challa's exchange with Agent Ross.

Down below, T'Challa stopped next to Everett. "Agent Ross."

"Your highness," Everett greeted with a tone of annoyance.

T'challa leaned down over the table, towards the American. "You are buying from Klaue." It was a statement, not a question. Of course, it made sense. To the Americans, all the Vibranium in Wakanda was gone, so they would go to any lengths to gain some.

Everett looked to T'challa. "What I am doing, or not doing on behalf of the US government is none of your concern. Now, whatever the hell you're up to, do me a favour, stay out of my way."

T'challa considered Everett for a moment before standing up straight. "I gave you Zemo."

"Didn't I keep it under wraps that the king of a third world country runs around in a bulletproof catsuit?" Everett asked pointedly. "I'd say we were even."

"He's got you there," Vielka murmured with a grin as she stopped again, leaning on another railing and watching the exchange, once again.

"You really need to leave, now," Everett implored, turning back to the table.

T'challa leaned back towards Everett. "Klaue is leaving out that door with me," he said, motioning for the one closest to Vielka. Everett looked up and saw her, looking meaningfully down at him. "You've been warned." With that he walked away.

Vielka continued to watch Everett, and she could tell she was making him nervous, smirking at him slightly as he pressed his lips together before bringing his hand up to his face and moving away from the table he was at to follow T'challa.

"Hooked him, T'challa," Vielka murmured, looking towards Okoye on the other side of the balcony, who was also watching the exchange between the CIA agent and T'challa.

"Vibranium from the attack on Sokovia links back to a person that I'm not actually saying I'm here to make a deal with but that deal will not be called off," Everett explained, standing next to T'challa again. The Wakandan King glanced sideways to the CIA agent. "When the dust settles, you and me can work something out."

"I am not here to make a deal," T'challa replied simply, placing more chips on the table he was playing at.

 **oOOo**

Everett Ross scowled at the Wakandan King, before hastily moving away from him again. He glanced up to the balcony, looking for the outstanding cobalt blue dress, and the pretty woman wearing it, but she was nowhere to be seen. She looked vaguely familiar to him, and he wondered if it was perhaps T'challa's bodyguard from Berlin. He had never seen her face, but just something about the way she stood gave him a sense of familiarity.

He went to move again, when he heard one of his fellow agents in his ear. "Ross, we've got Klaue moving in."

Everett looked to the entrance to see Ulysses Klaue stride into the room, a large contingent of men with him. "Alright, keep an eye on his men, but keep back."

Klaue made his way downstairs, paying no mind to anyone else in the room and walked straight up to Everett, not a care in the world as he stopped in front of him, his entourage of men falling in behind him.

"Well, that is quite the entourage" Everett greeted Klaue, counting the three men at his back. "You got a mixtape coming out?"

"Oh yeah." Klaue glanced back at his men and chuckled in response, before looking back at Everett. "Yeah, actually, there is one. I'll send you the SoundCloud link, if you like." Everett couldn't tell if he was serious or being sarcastic for a moment, until Klaue turned to look at one of his men. "Hey, Dave, can you get the link to the tape?"

Everett balked at the thought of this guttersnipe and his cronies making music. "Please, don't make me listen to your music," he quickly interjected, gaining Klaue's attention back to him. "I just meant you got a lot of people with you."

Klaue looked at him sardonically, a chuckle escaping him as he took a step closer. "You think they're for you?" Everett understood the insinuation Klaue making. He was expecting someone else, and Everett had a feeling he knew who too. He glanced around to see if he could spot them, but his attention was quickly returned to Klaue, as he felt him put his right hand on Everett's shoulder. "Don't worry, I can deal with you all by myself, thank you very much."

Everett was certain that was a threat, and he was quick to focus all his attention on Klaue now. The smarmy South African was the same size as him, but Everett was armed too. He could see no obvious signs of a weapon on Klaue, but he knew better than to make assumptions.

Klaue leant forward, beginning to massage Everett's shoulder, causing Everett to feel ill at the smell of the unkempt South African. It was obvious he'd made an effort to fit into the surrounds, but it was the bare minimum. "You got the diamonds?"

"Okay, that's enough," Everett said, moving back from Klaue so he was now out of arm's reach of him. He looked to find one of his fellow agents, calling their attention to him and she quickly began making her way over, a second silver briefcase in hand.

Everett looked back to Klaue. "Vibranium?" he asked expectantly.

He smirked in reply, before reaching down and beginning to unzip his trousers. Everett was appalled, shaking his head and looking away. He supposed that was one way to get a highly sort after metal from place to place. Klaue finally pulled a brown paper bag out, before placing it down on the side of the Craps table. Everett saw the word 'FRAGILE' written on it. It had to be some kind of joke.

Everett looked from the bag to Klaue incredulously. "Well, I was going to buy a fancy suitcase but I thought I'd save myself some money," Klaue explained in an offhand manner before grinning malevolently.

Everett considered the brown paper bag and Klaue for a moment, but before he could say anything more or question Klaue as to how he got it, there was a disturbance on the balcony to his right. He turned to look, seeing a dark woman, in a red dress, throwing a man over the balcony. He landed heavily on the floor, and Everett spotted a weapon in the woman's hand, a spear. He furrowed his brow, watching as she swung it around to hit one of Klaue's men, an electric current hitting the man and dropping him to the ground.

Klaue jumped at the commotion before looking at Everett and pulling out a gun from his back. "Wakandans! They're here!" Everett managed to raise the briefcase just before Klaue could squeeze the trigger, sending three rounds into the side of the brief case and causing a shower of diamonds.

Everett began running, trying to get to some cover, as Klaue's men began shooting at the two Wakandan women, one on the ground floor and one on the balcony. T'challa appeared, throwing a Craps table over onto its side and pulling him behind it.

"Get outta here!" Everett shouted to T'challa over the screaming of patrons running in fear and gunshots. The last thing he needed was Wakandan royalty getting shot, and so soon after the death of his father.

"Kill 'em all!" Klaue shouted as he made his way back across the room. He motioned to one of his men. "Diamonds, quick!"

Everett watched as one of Klaue's men tried to make his way toward him, trying to avoid people trying to run away.

"Banzai, protect Ross," Everett heard T'challa say as he fought off men moving towards him. He wasn't sure who he was talking to, the name sounded familiar though, but whoever it was seemed to argue with him. "Just do it!"

Everett pulled his gun out, making to move across the floor of the casino, towards one of the exits when a man came charging towards him, he fired at him, his aim on target as the man fell. People were rushing all around and he was doing his best to avoid running into anyone, but it made it hard to maintain his aim as he tried to continue firing at Klaue's men.

He could see the two others T'challa had brought with him better now, a small, pretty woman who was currently fighting off two men at once. She removed a heel from her foot and used it to slash across the face of a man who was moving to attack her, before taking a subdued man's weapon and firing at two more of Klaue's men trying to make their way down to the floor from the balcony, taking both down. The second was the woman in the red dress who had started the commotion, she was currently fighting off about four men with her spear, her shaved head making her stand out, but even more so her skills at defending herself left an impression.

"Wakandans," Everett muttered, as he continued to try and make his way across the floor, he needed to try and get to Klaue, but he was currently very well protected, his entourage apparently even bigger than Everett had first thought.

Everett was just about at the stairs to the balcony, when he found his way blocked by three rather large men, and he was low on ammo. By his calculation, he had one in the chamber, and all three were armed themselves.

They raised their weapons, looking at him expectantly. He pressed his lips into a thin line and began to raise his hands in the air, the briefcase dangling from the cuff on his wrist.

One of the men moved forward towards him, no doubt to take the briefcase for Klaue, and he considered whether it was a good time to use that last bullet on him and hope for the best to make a run for it before the other two could shoot him, but before he could even make a decision, there was a blur of cobalt blue chiffon dropping down from above.

The woman, in the blue dress with the alluring smile, dropped from the balcony above them and landed behind the man, she held out what looked like a black rod towards the other two men, earning her looks of confusion, until she grabbed it in a fist and flicked her wrist, the rod turning into a stave which she used to hit the man to the right, sending him flying backwards into the koi pond water feature by the stairs.

Everett took the opportunity to shoot the man closest to him as he turned around in surprise to try and grab her, while the woman quickly disarmed the third man with her stave, before knocking him out with a well placed knee to the head.

She then turned to look back at Everett, her golden brown eyes narrowing on him and leaving him slightly awestruck. He hadn't noticed them before, but up close, they almost looked like jewels.

"Ross secured," she muttered, before looking back to the centre of the room. Everett followed her gaze just in time to see T'challa launch himself into the air grabbing hold of the railing of the balcony above them.

"What is in the water in Wakanda?" Everett breathed, watching as T'challa scrambled up and over the railing. He looked back to the woman in blue before him. She was tall, with long black hair and an exotic appearance to her face, possibly of Asian descent, if he had to guess. Her dress looked dishevelled now, as did her hair, the straps from her dress had been ripped off at some point. He was certain this had to be 'Banzai' as T'Challa had called her, the bodyguard from Berlin that he had been wanting to detain and question for suspicion of being enhanced.

She quickly began walking towards Everett and he suddenly felt very on edge, but she moved past him without a word, turning to look back towards T'challa on top of the balcony, before she leant against a Craps table and began to remove her heels from her feet.

Everett stared at her for a moment, trying to comprehend what she was doing, and taking note of just how long her legs appeared to be through the splits of the dress she was wearing. He realised he was staring and quickly moved to look towards the exit of the casino, seeing T'challa facing off with Klaue. He'd have to bargain with T'challa to get Klaue into his custody before the Wakandans could get him back to their homeland. He sighed as he saw Klaue raise his hands to the air, which he thought strange considering how much of a fight he had just put up.

As he thought to speak to Banzai, he noticed Klaue's left arm beginning to split and a weapon appearing from it, as he pointed it towards T'challa.

"Shit," Everett breathed.

"Get down!" Banzai shouted, before moving towards him and pushing him out of the way. The weapon was fired, sending T'challa flying through the air backwards, and he landed on one of the Craps tables, as hundreds and thousands of dollars worth of notes floated through the air around them.

* * *

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hellllooooo everyone,**

 **It's the weekend, and I finally have a free weekend with nothing on, so thought I would finally get another chapter up.**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 19**

Vielka pushed herself up off of Agent Ross, before quickly shoving him so he would roll sideways and checking him over. He groaned slightly, wincing as she opened his jacket to see if he had any injuries.

"Who the hell are you?" he groaned as he began to sit up. She ignored him before turning her attention back to T'challa who was also trying to recover from being shot at by Klaue's weaponized arm prosthetic.

"Do we just leave him?" she heard Okoye ask over the comms.

"He'll catch up," Nakia replied curtly, sounding distracted and she heard both of their breathing change as if they were sprinting. She smirked slightly, she really was starting to like the little Wakandan War Dog.

"I've got him, keep track of Klaue, we'll be there soon," Vielka ordered. "Get up!" She reefed T'challa up onto his feet easily and they both turned and ran towards the exit.

"We need a driver," Vielka said as she sprinted barefoot ahead of T'challa, out the door and into the street outside where people were still running and screaming in fear. She headed for her car parked up the street.

"No, we don't, keep moving," T'challa replied, throwing a remote access device onto the bonnet. It began to glow. "Shuri!" They continued to run up the street, not wanting to lose any ground on Klaue's convoy.

"Yes!" Vielka heard Shuri exclaim excitedly. Vielka ripped away the skirt of her dress as she ran, before activating her armour. It spread from the two bracelets on her wrists, forming up and down her arms before spreading all over her body, her face mask appearing across her eyes last and her Heads Up Display activating. It connected to the comms piece she wore inside her ear, so she could control the HUD by simply thinking a command. The live feed from Nakia and Okoye's car began to filter through a small display in the top left corner inside the HUD, as they gave chase to Klaue's convoy. "Nakia and Okoye are catching up to Klaue."

Behind her, T'challa also activated his armour continuing to run after them, as the car roared to life on its own.

"Wait!" Shuri exclaimed, her voice sounding slightly confused. "Which side of the road is it?"

"For Bast's sake!" T'challa exclaimed in response, as Vielka rolled her eyes behind her mask and smirked. Shuri was a teen, after all. "Just drive!"

"Okay! Calm down!" Shuri retorted, as they heard the car approaching from behind them. Vielka had a second display appear in her HUD, it was the feed from Shuri's remote controlled car. It was weird seeing herself running from behind, but she was quick to move to one side of the road to allow Shuri to drive past her, while T'challa launched himself into the air and flipped, landing on top of the car.

Vielka leapt onto the back of the car as it passed, activating the magnetic grip on the soles of her armour so she needn't worry about falling from the car. "Shuri, window, please?"

The rear two windows rolled down as they sped through the narrow Korean streets, Vielka reaching inside to pull out her two Wakizashi from their hiding spot in the door. She slipped them into the slots at the back of her armour with a resounding 'click'.

"Whoo!" Shuri whooped through the comms. "Let's go!" Vielka smirked. The teen's enthusiasm was slightly contagious, as Vielka began to feel excited to be back into a good fight again. In her HUD display, she saw that Nakia and Okoye had caught up to the convoy now.

"Which one is he in now?" Nakia asked as she took a sharp turn. There were five cars in the convoy of black SUVs.

"Standard protective protocols says assets are always in the middle," Vielka answered, watching the display as she crouched on the back of their speeding car. She continued to watch the display as the five cars then split up, two veering right while the other three continued straight ahead. "Ah."

"They're trying to lose us," Okoye muttered.

"I'll take the right," Nakia said, veering at the very last minute to follow the two. "Banzai, Shuri, you've got the other three."

"Roger that," Vielka replied, looking past T'challa to see they were finally catching up. She could just make the back of Nakia's car taking the turn.

"I see a shortcut," Shuri announced, before taking a sharp turn down an alley. Vielka leaned into the turn, holding onto the lip of the boot for balance while continuing to analyse her HUD.

"They should be..." Vielka brought a map up on her HUD, scanning the small lines and GPS signal quickly before turning to look to her left as Shuri turned a corner and they approached a small intersection. "There!"

Sure enough, three black SUVs sped past the intersection as they rounded the corner, Shuri accelerating again and cutting the corner of the intersection, causing the car to jump slightly. They sped after the three SUVs at high speed, weaving through traffic and gaining on them, but Vielka could see they were headed for a busy intersection ahead.

"Uh... guys," T'challa looked back towards her. "We've got heavy traffic ahead."

T'challa turned back to face the front and they watched as the three SUVs approached the busy intersection, one trying to go straight ahead but smashing into another car before speeding off again, following the other two SUVs, who had managed to make a last minute left turn, avoiding any collisions.

Cars screeched to a halt in the middle of the intersection, trying to avoid hitting each other, blocking the way.

"We're not going to make it!" Shuri exclaimed.

"Keep going!" T'challa shouted, before glancing back to Vielka. "Lean left, Banzai!"

She knew what he was planning to do, pulling a sword from her back, before piercing it through the lid of the trunk easily. She did as she was asked, leaning to the left and holding onto the hilt of her sword to keep her balance, while T'challa clawed his way to the left side of the car, before clawing at the road. The car began to lift off its right two wheels. T'challa used all his strength to pull the car up, causing it to turn sharply as sparks flew from T'challa's Vibranium claws and suit that scratched along the bitumen, just avoiding the pile up of cars in the middle of the intersection.

When they had finally made the turn, he released the car, allowing it to fall back onto all four wheels. T'challa quickly clambered up onto the hood of the car, while Vielka straightened, pulling her sword from the lid of the trunk, smirking slightly. "Whoo! Brother!" Shuri shouted in excitement.

"Show off," Vielka muttered under breath.

"I heard that."

They continued speeding after the three SUVs, Shuri now managed to be right on their tail. So close, in fact, it seemed that they took exception to them and began firing out the back of the rear car. The glass shattered as an automatic rifle peppered them with bullets.

"I think they saw us," Vielka murmured ducking her head slightly. While T'challa had full cover in his armour, she had opted not to go a full helmet and her face mask was not yet bulletproof, as Gaia had been working on a new one for her, but it had not yet been integrated. There was no need for her to, really, but being fired upon still caused her to duck out of habit.

"I'll take care of this," T'challa called, before launching himself into the air. He landed heavily onto the back of the rear car, bullets ricocheting off his armour, harmlessly. Vielka watched as he clambered onto the roof, the shooter continuing to try and fire his weapon at him.

She climbed up onto the roof of Shuri's car. "See if you can get around them, Shuri!" Vielka shouted.

"Are you sure? You're not as well armoured as T'challa," Shuri hesitated.

"I'm made of Vibranium, remember?"

"Oh, there's that." She sped up, looking to get enough speed to go around, as T'challa sliced through the top of the SUV with his claws easily. He must have scared one of the occupants, because suddenly, a door of the SUV opened and a man fell out, rolling along the road.

Shuri's car hit a slight bump. "Hey, what was that?" she demanded.

Vielka looked behind them and wrinkled her nose slightly. "Uh..."

"Don't worry about it, you're doing great," T'challa interjected before Vielka could answer, turning to leap back onto Shuri's car. He landed back onto the hood as the SUV he was on veered to the side of the road, hitting another car and launched into the air, before crashing as they sped past.

"What he said."

They sped after the remaining two SUVs catching up quickly. The occupants of both opened fire on them, once again.

"We are down to one car here," came Okoye's voice through comms.

"We have two," Vielka replied, as Shuri weaved through traffic to avoid the bullets being sprayed from the SUV. Vielka's car had been a last minute decision, so it wasn't bulletproof, unlike Nakia's, so the bullets were doing damage to the Lexus.

"What is taking you so long, huh?" Nakia demanded, her voice sounding irritated through the comms.

"Do you want to come and do it?" Vielka retorted sharply.

"Cut it out, you two," T'challa warned.

"Hey, guys, look at your suits," Shuri said, calling both of their attention, and they both glanced down at their armour. "You've been taking bullets, charging it up with kinetic energy."

Sure enough, Vielka saw the lines of her armour shimmering a deep red. She looked sideways at T'challa to see his was glowing purple. He met her gaze and they nodded. "Pull around the truck," T'Challa ordered. Shuri veered left and they both clambered up the side of the container on the back of a truck that had been travelling on the busy road alongside them.

Vielka looked down to see both cars in a line below them, the shooters aiming their rifles towards the truck, no doubt waiting on Shuri's car to emerge from behind it with Vielka and T'Challa. "Look, they lined up for us." She pulled her second sword from her back.

"You take the back," T'challa ordered, and Vielka nodded once.

She stretched her shoulders slightly before dropping down onto the hood of the rear car in a crouch, her two blades slicing through the hood and into the engine bay easily. "Looking for something?" The two men inside the car exclaimed in surprise, one turning his weapon to shoot, but Vielka activated the kinetic blast before they could, pulling her swords from the hood and leaping into the air.

The car exploded, spinning and twirling, until it landed again, quickly followed by the car T'challa had taken care of, both a fiery mess of twisted metal.

 **oOOo**

Everett pulled his car up at the intersection. He had been listening to police scanners and following the trail of destruction for quite a distance, until he finally calculated where it was he might find the Wakandans and Klaue.

He looked up to the hill to his left, and sure enough, a black SUV came flying over the hill, Klaue hanging out the side of it. His arm weapon was raised and pointed back up the hill. A silver car launched over the hill and he recognised the Wakandan woman with the shaved head from earlier at the casino, riding on the roof of the car.

"Oh, shit."

Klaue fired his arm weapon, and the blast hit the car square on, blowing it into several different pieces. The tall Wakandan went flying through the air, managing to catch her spear as she flipped, before landing on the hood, skidding down the hill and using her spear to slow herself down. The smaller Wakandan woman, who had apparently been driving, slid along the road and came to a stop beside her counterpart, still in the driver's seat, completely unscathed. They looked at each other in exasperation.

He stared at them in stunned silence for a moment, completely in awe that both had just survived their ordeal. He turned and watched as Klaue sped away, considering what was his best option. He sighed, going against his better judgement and turning his car towards the two Wakandans.

He stopped as they walked towards the car, winding down his window. "Get in." They glanced sideways at each other, appearing hesitant. "You can put that spear thingy in the trunk."

Once they were inside the car, the taller Wakandan in the front passenger seat, Everett turned the car and hurried after Klaue. It wasn't hard to find out which way he went, they just followed the trail of destruction.

"There!" the smaller of the two exclaimed, leaning forward from the back seat and pointing through the windscreen. They saw another car, the Black Panther and his bodyguard riding on top of it, blasted by Klaue's arm, the car blown into pieces and both T'challa and his bodyguard thrown high into the air.

T'challa flipped through the air, leaping off the buildings easily, much like the name sake of his alter ego, before landing on his feet easily, continuing to chase down Klaue, but his bodyguard did not. She landed heavily, rolling several times on the concrete and lay still.

Everett glanced sideways at the tall Wakandan, who seemed distracted. "What?" she exclaimed suddenly, holding a hand against her ear. "She's what?"

"If that weapon is made of Vibranium then Banzai could be susceptible to it," the smaller seemed to be explaining to her counterpart, as she began sliding towards the passenger side door.

"What's going on?" Everett demanded as he sped towards the docks where T'challa had now cornered Klaue.

"Pull up here," the taller Wakandan ordered, and Everett might have refused if it weren't for the fact that both women were already opening the doors to the car.

"Hey, wait!" he began to object, slamming on the brakes before getting out hurriedly. The taller Wakandan ran towards T'challa, who had Klaue pinned against a car. The smaller woman ran towards the bodyguard, lying on the ground.

Everett hurried towards T'challa, who had his claws out, poised over Klaue's face, the South African proceeding to beg T'challa to show mercy. "Whoa, mercy, King, mercy!" They were attracting a crowd, and Everett knew he also needed information from Klaue about his source of vibranium, he couldn't risk T'Challa killing Klaue, for the King's sake and for his own.

"T'challa!" The taller Wakandan warned, looking around them. They were attracting a crowd. Klaue was not a silly man, he used the crowd to his advantage.

"Your highness..." Everett also warned, trying to calm the situation. "Let's take him back to my headquarters and we can question him there."

T'challa looked around, seeming to look from Everett to the people watching, then to the Wakandan woman and back to Klaue. He sheathed his claws, before reefing Klaue away from the hood of the car and towards Everett's car. "He shot at us and hit Vielka," T'challa said, shoving Klaue roughly towards the Wakandan woman. "How is she?"

"Nakia is checking her over now," the Wakandan woman said, grabbing the South African roughly. Everett turned to look as T'challa hurried over, quickly following him as the Wakandan woman secured Klaue.

He looked over Nakia's shoulder to see she had rolled the armour clad woman onto her back. Her face mask had been removed, or what had been left of it, and the left side of her face appeared to be badly burnt, making Everett cringe.

"What the hell?" Everett gasped, before kneeling beside her, beginning to try and offer first aid. Her armoured jumpsuit, similar to the one worn by the Wakandan King, had protected the rest of her body, but her face had been unprotected. Parts of her mask were still attached to her face, stuck to her burnt skin. "There's a first aid kit in the front of the car," he said, moving to get it.

"Do not worry about it," T'challa said, kneeling down beside the injured woman. Everett stopped and stared at the Wakandan King in exasperation.

"She's severely injured, T'challa," Nakia implored, furrowing her brow at her king in concern.

"She needs aid," Everett agreed.

T'challa reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "Vielka, get up." He gave her shoulder a little shake and her golden brown eyes fluttered open. Everett furrowed his brow in confusion, as she blinked a few times. "How do you feel?"

"Like I got hit by a blazing Vibranium filled truck," she answered with a groan, wincing slightly as she tried to open her left eye wider, the burns hindering its movement. Nakia and T'challa helped her to sit up, and she reached up to touch the side of her face, wincing again before looking at her fingers, sighing when she noticed the blood that came away with her fingers. "We should get me to some cover before it starts."

T'challa gave a nod before looking to Everett, who glanced at her in confusion, she appeared so nonchalant. More cars squealed to a stop around them, as more of his colleagues began to arrive at the scene to deal with the carnage and speak to witnesses. This was going to be a huge mess to clean up.

"Do you need me to get her to a hospital?" Everett asked, finally looking to T'Challa.

The Wakandan King seemed to smirk slightly. "No, she comes back with us, but she will need room to overcome her injuries. Nakia and Okoye will ride with me," T'challa answered, before nodding towards Everett. "Do not think to ask any questions of her, Agent Ross, she does not take kindly to snooping."

"You cannot be serious," the woman retorted in exasperation and immediately winced and hissed with pain, blood beginning to seep from the wound on her face more quickly.

"You are in no position to argue," T'challa replied pointedly, before helping her to her feet. Everett was stunned to see that other than her face, she was completely unscathed. She had to be enhanced, he was certain of it as she showed no signs of a limp or wounding. T'challa nodded towards Everett. "Agent Ross."

"Ah, yes, right." He motioned to one of his fellow agents, calling them over and taking a set of keys, doing his best to quickly explaining the situation. All the while, the injured woman simply stood behind him, picking pieces of her face mask out of the wound on her face, wincing occasionally.

Everett turned to look at her, having finished briefing his colleague, as she pulled a rather large piece from her cheek. He moved to try and stop her, but she simply held a finger up, pulling out the piece, hissing slightly as it slipped out from the burned and blistered gash in her face.

He blinked slightly as she seemed to analyse the piece, before tossing it aside and looking at Everett expectantly. Who the hell was this woman? He motioned to a car parked off to one side, leading her towards it.

She climbed into the back while he got into the driver's seat, starting the engine. He turned to look at her as she removed two sheathed swords from her back. Looking at her now and being able to see her face closer, albeit partially missing, she looked vaguely familiar, like he'd seen her somewhere a long time ago.

"So, I don't think we've been introduced," he began as she put her swords into the foot well of the back seat.

"Let's keep it that way," she replied curtly. "Drive, don't stop and, whatever you do, don't look back."

He furrowed his brow at her, slightly annoyed as well as confused at what she was saying, before sighing and slipping the transmission into gear. "Okay..." He looked to glance in the rear view mirror, but she reached forward, ripping it from the ceiling. He turned to look at her incredulously. "Hey! This is government property."

"Good thing they've got plenty of money then."

He glanced at her one more time, narrowing his eyes at her, but she just looked at him pointedly, throwing the mirror to the floor. He turned back to the front, shaking his head in disbelief before he began to drive away.

He had barely been driving for a few minutes when he heard her groan like she was in severe pain.

"Are you okay?" he asked, beginning to turn his head around in concern.

"I said don't look back!" she growled angrily, although her voice still sounded pained. He was quick to stop himself, although completely confused as to why he was being so compliant. He heard her writhing in the back seat and even though every nerve and muscle in his body was telling him to pull the car over and turn around to provide her aid, he didn't.

She screamed like she was in agony, but Everett sped up instead of stopping, hoping that if he got back to headquarters faster, perhaps he could give her aid there.

After about three minutes of writhing, groaning and screaming, it fell silent in the back seat, except for her heavy breathing. "Hey, are you okay?" He finally ignored her directive to not look back, turning his head slightly. She was leaning right back against the seat, her head resting on the top of the seat back, her face looking up to the ceiling, so all he could see was her neck. All around her, the seat's upholstery was ripped and torn, the innards and springs exposed.

She finally sighed and brought her face back down to look at him, leaving him awestruck as he saw her face. "I thought I told you not to look back."

The burns down the left side of her face, which had to have been third degree burns at the very least, were gone. Completely healed, with not a mark or blemish left on her face. "You...you're..." Everett began to stammer as he stared.

"Traffic."

He whipped his head back to the front, quickly turning the wheel to avoid the traffic before pulling off to one side and slamming on the brakes. He turned back to look at her, to find her glaring at him pointedly. "What the hell are you?"

"That is none of your concern, we have somewhere to be," she answered, slowly reaching forward and picking her swords up from the foot well, sliding them back into the back of her armoured jumpsuit. "And I suggest you hurry, as T'challa isn't the most patient of people."

He stared at her for a moment longer, trying to figure out why she looked so familiar, before sighing and putting the car back into gear.

* * *

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	20. Chapter 20

**It's the weekend!**

 **Thanks for all the feedback on my OC, glad you guys like her.**

 **I hope you guys enjoy the next couple of chapters, because I know I really enjoy them.**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 20**

The healing process hadn't gotten any easier, or less painful. Her cheek still felt hot, which meant the underlying muscles and tendons were still healing.

She knew Everett wasn't going to be able to resist looking into the back seat, she should have kept a sword to his throat. Then again, looking at the torn up seats beside her, maybe it was a good idea putting the swords out of arms reach.

Everett finally pulled into a small compound, stopping in front of the main building where T'challa and the two Wakandan women were waiting, changed from their previous garments. She opened the car door and moved to get out, only to have Everett Ross pull his weapon out as soon as he had disembarked the car.

"Don't move!" he barked, turning his weapon's aim towards her. She raised an eyebrow, looking from the handgun pointed at her to T'challa expectantly.

"What is the meaning of this, agent Ross?" T'challa demanded as both Nakia and Okoye moved to intervene. Vielka shook her head towards them both, causing them to stop where they were, before looking expectantly at Everett.

"This woman is enhanced, and as part of the Sokovian Accords, is required to be detained, questioned and registered with the UN Council," Everett answered matter-of-factly. Vielka pressed her lips together and looked at T'challa pointedly. She'd warned him about the Accords way back when they were first considered, before T'Chaka had died.

"She is also a member of the Wakandan council," T'challa replied. "And I do not recall ever signing those accords at the end of the day, Agent Ross." Vielka hadn't moved since Everett had pointed the gun at her, looking from him to the Wakandan King with a grim expression on her face.

"Well, I..." Everett began.

"And would you really want to risk an international incident, Agent Ross?" Nakia demanded pointedly.

"And if this is the thanks I get for saving your ass back at the casino, then maybe I should have left you to fend for yourself," Vielka muttered under her breath. She said it just loud enough for Everett to hear though, and he hesitated again, before sighing and lowering his aim.

Vielka smirked slightly at the agent as she moved past him, walking towards T'challa.

" _You know, you could have disarmed him?_ " T'challa remarked quietly in Xhosa, as she stopped in front of him, glancing back at the agent, who slammed his car door shut with more force than necessary.

She chuckled slightly, T'Challa had made Shuri teach Vielka and Gaia the native language of Wakanda for just this reason, she was certain. " _He's had a rough night, didn't want to mess with his head too much._ "

" _You are too nice,_ " Okoye said with a sneer as she looked back to Agent Ross.

"Don't let that get around," Vielka replied, feigning a look of horror.

"Come on, you three," Nakia called, following Everett inside.

 **oOOo**

As the morning sun began to rise over the city, Vielka and Nakia stood side by side looking out from the office front of the CIA's building. Nakia had brought Vielka a change of clothes from their hotel, and now they were on overwatch. While Vielka had expected them working together to be awkward and strained, she found Nakia to be quite the professional and hard working. Even now, while they stood in silence, side by side, it was not an uncomfortable silence.

"So you heal quickly now?"

"Apparently so," Vielka replied, watching as a van drove past the building slowly.

"What exactly did I miss, when I went away?" Nakia asked, glancing sideways at Vielka.

"You don't want to know." She heard Nakia humph before she turned to walk further down the office to check a security feed.

As they both watched the goings on outside, they were both listening into Everett's interrogation of Klaue, after T'challa had apparently slipped one of the audio surveillance devices onto him. Klaue was currently spilling all of Wakanda's secrets, from their Vibranium stash, to their weapons and technological advances.

Vielka glanced over at Nakia, who looked at her with grave concern. They needed to consider how they were going to get out of this one, T'challa in particular needed to think of something fast.

As she looked back out the windows, she spotted the same van, passing by in the opposite direction, slowly. She narrowed her eyes, watching it as it drove and noticed that the two occupants were not of Korean descent. Of course, it wasn't that unusual to see, except when the van was for a low earning tradesman company, most foreigners working in Korea were in high power corporate jobs, or technology trades, not a plumber.

"Nakia..." Vielka murmured, not taking her eyes off it as it disappeared around the corner.

"I see it." Nakia looked to the security feed again, before starting at the screen in concern. " _Where is that?_ " she asked the agent manning the computer in Korean.

Vielka moved to look at the screen too, noticing the feed Nakia was pointing too. It was a back alley, and while it appeared empty, Vielka understood Nakia's concern.

" _Back there,"_ he motioned towards the back of the building. As they watched the screen, it jumped and glitched slightly.

"It's been hacked!" Vielka hissed, before moving quickly, Nakia following behind her. They hurried to the back rooms where T'challa and Okoye were talking to Everett.

Vielka burst through the door first and everyone in the room jumped up in alarm, reaching for their weapons, but Vielka ignored them all, walking straight to T'challa while Nakia held her hands up to try and calm the room.

"The security feed has been hacked," Vielka warned.

" _Something is happening out back_ ," Nakia added in their native tongue.

No sooner had she warned them, before there was an explosion in the room where Klaue was being held captive, causing everyone, but Vielka, to duck. Klaue began screaming excitedly, as a man dressed with a strange wooden mask stepped through the hole blown into the wall, raising a rifle and shooting at the window.

"Get down!" Vielka shouted, shoving T'challa towards Okoye, before moving towards the man firing at her. He continued firing as she leapt through the window, bullets bouncing off her hardened skin harmlessly.

She ran forward, grabbing the rifle muzzle with one hand, before forcing it upwards, and trying to reef if from his arms, but he kicked out at her, hitting her in the abdomen and forcing her back. There was a lot more power behind the kick than she was expecting and she was left slightly breathless.

She released the weapon and he lunged forwards as she tried to regather her balance, trying to use the weapon to knock her away but she got an arm up, blocking his attack. She tried to counter his attack by elbowing him in his solar plexus, but he was wearing body armour, so she did little damage.

As she engaged with him, through the smoke and dust, she saw two others carrying Klaue out of the hole in the wall, firing several more shots into the office behind her as they did so.

"Klaue's escaping!" she shouted, but her distraction was enough for her assailant to take advantage, and he moved to punch at her again. She tried to duck it, but as she did so he brought up his knee, connecting with her head and knocking her backwards, before kicking out at her with great force. The strike was strong enough to force her back into the wall.

As she struggled back to her feet he fired into the office again, before pulling a grenade from his vest and disengaging the pin.

Vielka moved to try and stop him but he was able to throw it before she could strike him, the grenade landing through the window as her kick landed on his chest and sent him flying back out through the hole in the wall he had made.

"Grenade!" Vielka shouted turning to run back through the window after it.

T'challa reacted to her warning, launching his now armour clad body over it, in an attempt to smother the blast, as Vielka jumped back through the window. There was the sound of the subdued blast, T'challa's body moving barely an inch off the ground as the armour took the brunt of the explosion.

He stood then, Vielka looking him up and down to check he was alright, before he jumped through the window and ran through the hole in the wall. Vielka followed after him, engaging her own armour.

The man in the wooden mask began firing upon them again as they gave chase, T'challa in the lead, the bullets harmlessly ricocheting off their armour.

T'challa was catching up to him, and launched himself in an effort to tackle their mystery attacker, but he fired his grenade launcher attachment on his rifle, the blast strong enough to knock T'challa to the ground.

Vielka skidded to a halt, concerned for T'challa, turning to check on him. "T'challa, are you okay?" she demanded, as the man climbed into the back of the van. T'challa disengaged his helmet, seeming to be short of breath from the blast, staring after their assailant.

" _My King!"_ Okoye exclaimed in Xhosa, running towards them as Vielka helped T'challa sit up. She looked towards the end of the alley, swearing in Xhosa, before looking to Vielka and T'challa as she helped him to his feet. " _My king,_ Nakia."

They all turned and hurried back inside the building, T'challa in the lead. They found Nakia seated on the floor, with two CIA agents, working on Everett who was lying face down on the ground.

Nakia looked up as they kneeled down to check on them. "He just jumped in front of me."

Vielka looked down to see Everett's breathing was laboured and his skin clammy. She noticed one of the CIA agent's was trying to stem the bleeding of a wound on his back. The fact that Everett wasn't moving told her all she needed to know.

"I don't think he will make it here, it hit his spine," Nakia said pointedly, looking at T'challa.

T'challa considered Nakia for a moment before glancing down at the wound in Everett's back. "Give me a Kimoyo bead, Vielka."

Vielka pulled the bead from her wrist and handed it to T'challa, without question. He pushed the bead carefully into the bullet wound in Everett's back, the bead lighting up and light blue veins of liquid Vibranium spreading through his skin as it activated with the wound.

"This will stabilise him for now," T'challa explained. Everett's breathing slowed and his eyes drifted shut. Vielka checked his pulse, it was steady. T'challa looked to the agent who had been trying to stabilise the wound. "Give him to us. We can save him."

She looked incredulously at T'challa, as did Okoye. "He needs a doctor," the agent replied.

"A miracle, is what he needs, he's not going to get that here," Vielka retorted matter-of-factly.

The agent glared at Vielka, before looking at T'challa and then Nakia, who looked at her imploringly, nodding. The agent sighed and nodded, finally.

Vielka looked down at Everett, lying on the medical table in the jet as they flew into Wakanda, while Okoye berated T'challa.

 **oOOo**

"Our mission was to bring back Klaue. We failed," she looked to Everett. "This man is a foreign intelligence operative. How do we justify bringing him into our borders?"

"He took a bullet for me!" Nakia responded incredulously. Vielka had to admit, to her, it seemed the obvious choice.

"That was his choice," Okoye replied bluntly.

"So now we are just supposed to let him die?" Nakia retorted angrily, taking a step towards Okoye, but Vielka placed a hand on her shoulder, gaining Nakia's attention to her. She shook her head before letting Nakia's shoulder go.

Okoye sighed, looking at Vielka as Nakia walked away to calm down, turning her attention to the information being forwarded to Shuri about Everett's wounds. "Let us consider, that we heal him. It is his duty to report back to his country."

"He's held back information before," Vielka replied pointedly, raising her eyebrows at Okoye. "And we've had foreigners in the country before." They'd had a whole team, albeit, hiding in The Facility. And Okoye was well aware of them, she'd been on the receiving end of one. The thought had her bite the inside of her cheek and a strange, lingering pain form around her neck.

Vielka's point just seemed to annoy Okoye more. She looked to T'challa severely. "And as King, it is your duty to protect ours."

T'challa glared at Okoye. "I am well aware of my duties, General." He glanced at Everett on the medical table. "But I cannot just let him die... knowing we can save him."

There was an uncomfortable silence as the General and King considered Everett as he lay still on the table.

"Uh..." Vielka finally broke the silence, as it was making her uncomfortable. "So where exactly are we taking him?" They couldn't just take him into the hospital facility in Wakanda. She was the only outsider accepted into the country, although her medical visits were done in the secret facility anyway, due to her special condition. That would be the last place they should put Everett though, as he would no doubt still be on the hunt for Steve and his team. Regardless of the fact they were no longer here, it was still risky in case he saw any evidence they had been there.

"I have somewhere in mind," T'challa murmured.

 **oOOo**

Vielka pushed the medical table carefully into Shuri's lab wit next to no effort, it gliding silently ahead of her, T'challa, Okoye and Nakia walking on either side of the table.

The teen appeared and hurried over to look at the CIA agent. "Great, another broken white boy for us to fix."

Vielka narrowed her eyes at Shuri, and the teen suddenly appeared anxious. She was quick to take the medical table from Vielka and wheel it towards a large machine in the centre of the lab, keeping her eyes down. She immediately began to set to work on Everett, while Vielka excused herself.

She was tired and sore, her face still stung from being hit with the Vibranium blast, and all she wanted to do was rest for a moment. She headed back to her room, taking a long hot shower and changing into her palace clothing, being sure to replace her armour bracelets again.

She sat on her bed for a moment, considering whether she should return to Shuri's lab to see if she needed help with Everett, or to just rest alone. She touched the side of her face that had been a charred and blistered mess only a few hours ago. It was sensitive to the touch, the slightest of pain spreading through her cheek, although the skin there was silky smooth.

It was still taking some adjusting, getting used to these new abilities. The fact that nothing could penetrate her skin but Vibranium based weapons made for an interesting experience in a country where just about everything was made from Vibranium.

She yawned as her communication Kimoyo bead trilled on her wrist. She moved it to her hand.

"T'challa told me about the blast. I need you to come down here so we can check your recovery," Shuri said, and although she looked fine, she sounded nervous.

"I'm fine, it's healed," Vielka replied curtly.

"It's the King's orders," Shuri argued, although somewhat half heartedly, she noted.

"He's not my King," Vielka muttered pointedly.

"Gaia just gave me a new face mask to incorporate to your armour bracelet when she heard about the blast?"

Vielka narrowed her eyes at Shuri's projection, the teen knew her way to well, knowing she needed the upgrade on her armour. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine."

* * *

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello!**

 **Late update on a Saturday night here in Australia, I would usually do it on my two hour peace when my youngest son goes down for his afternoon nap, but I may have stayed up late last night playing Elder Scrolls Online with my mate hehe... So I needed a nap too!**

 **Anyway, been slacking in the writing department because I've also become a little bit engrossed in South Korean romcoms eheh...I'm a closet romantic, I know.**

 **Thanks to all those that just joined the party recently.**

 **Enjoy xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 21**

Everett woke up suddenly, looking around in surprise.

This was not his Busan office. The room appeared to be very high tech, the sound of upbeat music playing in the background, and soft chatter off to one side of the large room. He moved to sit up, feeling stiff, but strangely refreshed. The last thing he recalled was being shot in the back as he jumped in front of Nakia to protect her.

He turned his head to try and see his back, reaching back with his hand to see if he could feel the wound. Although his skin felt a little sensitive to the touch, he could feel no bandages, bullet wound or scarring, he was left very confused.

Carefully, he turned to stand up, gingerly at first, expecting his legs to be unused to taking his weight as he had obviously been lying on the table for quite a while. At least, if his bullet wounds recovery was any indication.

As his legs took his weight, he was quite surprised to find that they were fine, not struggling under his weight at all. He looked down in confusion, before looking back around the room again. He began to make his way towards the source of the music. The subdued talking he had heard earlier had ceased for the moment.

He saw a young woman sitting at a work table, her dark skin a contrast to the predominantly light colours of the lab, appearing to be fixing some contraption. She had to be no older than fifteen or sixteen, if her appearance was any indication. He looked around the room again, noting that it appeared to be a lab of some sort.

"All right," he finally said as he approached her. "Where am I?"

The girl jumped, looking at him in surprise and holding her hand to her chest. Her expression changed to one of annoyance. "Don't scare me like that, coloniser!"

Everett was taken aback by the term she used to address him. "W-What?" he stammered, trying to comprehend why she would say that. "My name is Everett."

"Yes, I know," she responded with a smirk, before looking back to her work. "Everett Ross, former Air Force pilot, and now CIA."

Everett considered the teen for a moment, slightly concerned at the knowing smirk she had on her face as she continued to work, as well as her knowledge of him. "Right..." he looked around again. "Okay, is this, Wakanda?"

"No," came another voice from behind him, making him jump. He turned around to see Banzai. "It's Kansas." She had changed out of her armour, and was now wearing a looser fitting, black jump suit with capped sleeves, her face flawless still, no signs of her injuries from Busan. He found it hard to believe this was the same woman that he had seen footage of taking on Sgt James Buchanan Barnes and for all intensive purposes, beaten in a fight. She appeared quite feminine, apart from the severe look on her face.

Her golden brown eyes shone under the bright lights of the lab as she moved towards the teen, glancing at him as she walked by. She was taller than him, looking down slightly as she strode past, and he caught the slightest wisp of a flowery perfume, recalling the same scent when she had covered him from the blast at the underworld casino in Korea. It was faint, not overpowering like something artificial as perfume often smelt like. It seemed like such an odd contrast to her actual persona and occupation.

She sat on a chair by the bench the teen was working on, the teen turning to her and holding up a device against the cheek that had been injured in Korea.

He furrowed his brow. "How long ago was Korea?" he asked. He felt himself starting to panic slightly. He didn't like not having information readily available to him, he liked to know what was happening.

"Yesterday," they both answered in unison, not looking at him, Banzai looking straight ahead, while the teen looked at the device in her hand.

He was stunned for a moment. It couldn't be possible. He scoffed lightly. "I don't think so. Bullet wounds don't just magically heal overnight," he argued, trying to feel his back again.

"Did you literally just say that, after seeing what I did to my face yesterday?" Banzai retorted, looking up at him critically.

The teen chuckled, straightening from analysing Banzai. "They do here. But not by magic, like Vielka, by technology."

"I'm not magic, Shuri," Banzai, or Vielka as the teen had called her, objected. "Science." She made quotation gestures with her fingers, earning a grin from the teen. He realised her accent wasn't American or English like he had assumed, but Australian. Looking at her, he still felt a vague familiarity from her. He couldn't quite place his finger on why, though.

"May as well be," the teen murmured with a sigh. "Does it still hurt?" she asked before poking Vielka's cheek.

The woman winced, before swatting away the teen's hand. "Ow! Yes! It does, thank you!"

"Oops, Sorry."

Everett stared at the bodyguard, and the teen, Shuri, before looking around the lab again. There was so much advanced technology; he was struggling to believe he was actually not in the future somewhere. He moved to look at some tech lying on a table.

"Don't touch anything, my brother will return soon," Shuri warned, as Vielka stood up. He glanced back to watch the pair. "Here, your new bracelets, with the improved face plate."

"Made with Vibranium this time?" Vielka asked, taking the bracelets and sliding them onto her wrists as Everett's eyebrows raised as he watched her putting the two silver bracelets on, which seemed more like silver cuffs to him, before he walked to the windows along the wall behind them and looked out. So, Klaue was telling the truth, the Wakandans did have more Vibranium.

"Yes, Gaia figured it out. It can be manually removed and magnetically attach to your right shoulder too, if necessary," Shuri replied with a nod.

He looked down out the window and could see trains running on platforms built into the walls. It looked like they were inside a mountain, and this was possibly a mine. This had to be the mountain of Vibranium that Klaue was rambling about in his interrogation. He stared as a train sped past down below.

He turned to look at Shuri. "These train things; that's magnetic levitation, right?"

Vielka and Shuri both turned to look at him with raised eyebrows, seemingly surprised at his question. Shuri moved towards the windows and looked down. "Obviously," she answered smugly.

"Obviously," Everett replied. "But I've never seen it this efficient. The light panels, what are they?"

"Sonic stabilisers," Shuri answered matter of factly.

"Sonic what?"

Shuri sighed, before continuing. "In its raw form, Vibranium is too dangerous to be transported at that speed," the teen explained. "So I developed a way to temporarily deactivate it."

Everett gawked at the train as it ran the track down below. "There's Vibranium on those trains?"

"There's Vibranium all around us," Shuri replied motioning back into the lab. She smirked. "That is how I healed you."

Everett stared at Shuri incredulously, before glancing at Vielka, who just looked at him with an emotionless expression; she was resting her head on her hand that was propped up by an elbow on the table. It was almost a feminine pose, aside from her expression. Everett considered what to say next when there was a trilling from Vielka and Shuri's wrists.

They both looked down, Vielka's expression darkening slightly as she glanced at Shuri.

"You, quiet," Vielka ordered, looking pointedly at Everett, moving to stand next to Shuri, before they both moved a bead from their wrists into the palm of their hand.

A projection of the tall Wakandan woman with the shaved head, whom he had met in Korea, appeared to hover over both of their hands. His eyes widened in awe at the display of advanced technology.

"Where is T'challa?" she demanded immediately, her expression conveying annoyance and her voice concerned. "His Kimoyo beads have been switched off."

"Well hello to you too," Vielka answered, seeming slightly perturbed at the Wakandan woman's tone. "I've not seen him since I left the lab earlier."

"And we are not joined at the hip, Okoye," Shuri added.

"What's wrong?" Vielka asked, the curiosity evident on her face.

"A man showed up at the border who claims to have killed Klaue."

"What?" Vielka and Shuri both exclaimed in surprise. Everett furrowed his brow, the news was concerning; as he had hoped to recapture Klaue and bring him to justice for Sokovia.

"W'Kabi is transporting him to the palace as we speak. We need to find your brother, and Vielka, you need to report to the council chamber, now."

"I'm on my way," Vielka replied, moving to walk away as Shuri stepped towards a screen and waved her hand in front of it.

An image of a dark man wearing combat fatigues with gold teeth appeared on the screen, and Everett recognised him. It had been a while since he had seen him, but there was no doubt who it was.

"An outsider?" Shuri asked Okoye.

"No, a Wakandan."

Vielka stopped in her tracks and looked from Okoye to Shuri and then the image in confusion.

"He's not Wakandan," Vielka and Everett said in unison. They looked at each other in surprise, Shuri also looking between them curiously.

Everett looked to Shuri. "He's one of ours."

 **oOOo**

T'challa stood in front of a screen, Everett standing beside it as he briefed himself, Shuri, Nakia and Vielka.

"Erik Stevens. Graduated Annapolis age 19. Went to MIT for grad school. Joined the SEALs and went

straight to Afghanistan, where he wrapped up confirmed kills like it was a video game," Everett explained, pointing to the number of confirmed kills on the screen. It was triple digits. "Everyone started calling him Killmonger. He went on and joined a JSOC ghost unit. Now, these guys are serious. They will drop off the grid so they can commit assassinations and take down governments. He's never failed a mission."

"Except one," Vielka piped up, stepping forward, eyeing off Everett. She was showing an emotion he hadn't seen from Vielka in awhile. She was nervous. She looked T'challa in the eye. "Me."

Everett's brow furrowed as he looked at her in confusion, looking like he might argue with her.

"What do you mean?" T'challa asked, cutting off Everett before he could begin and narrowing his eyes at her. He had never delved too deeply into Vielka's past, and much of it was covered up by governments all over the world, so of course, there was some things even he didn't know. He knew only of her time after being captured in the Middle East, he didn't know of what she had been made to do and by whom.

"They were sent after me, but I..." she murmured regretfully, her face becoming dark as she looked to the floor.

"Wait..." Everett narrowed his eyes at Vielka, staring at her for a moment, before a look of recognition passed over his face. "You're THAT Banzai? The Banzai?"

"That is not important right now," T'challa interjected before Vielka could respond, looking to Shuri. "Did he reveal anything of his identity?"

"He has a War Dog tattoo..." Shuri answered, appearing slightly confused. "But we have no record of him."

T'challa sighed, moving towards the image of the screen and considering what to do next. He recalled his conversation with Zuri, regarding the man he had seen in Busan that had shot at them, wearing his grandfather's ring on a necklace. "We need to go." He looked to the three Wakandan women and Vielka. "Come, we need to meet with the council."

In the council chamber, the four tribal Elders and the royal family gathered, the Dora Milaje standing guard in their positions around the room, while Vielka leaned against a wall in the shadows. While she attended council meetings, she stayed out of the proceedings out of respect for their traditions unless called upon specifically. She had argued immensely to be excluded from the council meetings, but for some reason, Ramonda had seen it pertinent she be included for security reasons. While he hadn't agreed it was necessary originally, nor had the elders of the council, he now realised the Queen Mother had encouraged the act to hasten her acceptance by the elders.

"Is this man Wakandan or not?" one of the elders demanded, looking around the room.

" _Tell us what is going on,"_ another elder demanded in Xhosa.

T'challa was quiet, considering his conversation with Zuri. He knew the truth of their intruder, but he didn't know what to do. He had already spoken to Nakia of it, and taken her counsel. He felt Shuri rest a reassuring hand on his arm, as the doors to the council chambers opened.

There, standing in the doorway was Killmonger, looking smug, as W'Kabi ushered him into the room, a calculating look on his old friend's face.

The man swaggered into the room, glancing from face to face of the elders before his eyes rested on T'challa again and he smirked.

T'challa looked to W'Kabi, and he could see distrust in his friends face as he looked back at him. He turned his gaze expectantly at Killmonger. " _Speak."_

"Speak," W'Kabi translated in English for Killmonger.

The intruder looked to T'challa, grinning malevolently. "I'm standing in your house, serving justice to a man who stole your Vibranium and murdered your people." He looked around at the elders. "Justice your king couldn't deliver."

T'challa stood, looking severely at Killmonger as he approached him, Okoye falling in behind him and swinging her spear threateningly, the other Dora also moving to flank. He stopped so his face was close to Killmonger's. "I don't care that you brought Klaue," T'challa retorted severely, keeping his voice low. "The only reason I don't kill you where you stand is because I know who you are. Now, what do you want?"

"I want the throne," Killmonger said, nodding towards it.

One of the elders scoffed and laughed. _"My goodness,"_ she murmured in Xhosa.

The other elders laughed, but T'challa didn't take his eyes off of Killmonger. He knew that Erik had a birth right to the throne; he had royal blood in his veins. His Uncle's blood. His Uncle, that his very own father, had killed.

Killmonger looked around the room at the elders severely. "Y'all sittin' up here comfortable. Must feel good. There's about two billion people, all over the world, that look just like us. But their lives are a lot harder. Wakanda has the tools to liberate 'em all."

One of the elders gave a questioning look to Killmonger. "And what tools are those?"

"Vibranium, your weapons."

"Our weapons will not be used to wage war on the world," T'challa rebuked. "It is not our way to be judge, jury and executioner for people who are not our own."

"Not your own?" Killmonger replied snidely. "But didn't life start right here on this continent? So ain't all people, your people?"

"I am not king of all people. I am king of Wakanda," T'challa retorted, his tolerance for his cousin shortening. "And it is my responsibility to make sure our people are safe, and that vibranium does not fall into the hands of a person like you."

Killmonger narrowed his eyes at T'challa. "Mmm..."

"And if I may," Vielka's voice broke through the murmurs, Killmonger's attention turning to her as she stepped forward from the shadows of the throne room. "Weapons aren't the answer; you of all people should know that."

Killmonger sneered, a look of recognition crossing his face. "That's rich coming from you. A weapon, a killer."

"Not of my own choosing," she replied quietly.

"Really? You could have fooled me," he retorted. "How many of my men did you kill?"

"How many of those men tried to kill me?"

 **oOOo**

The room was quiet for a moment as she and Killmonger glared at each other. Vielka recalled every moment of the JSOC's assault on her hideout, including each face of the men she had killed. He was one of the few she had ever let escape back then. It had been the last time she had killed indiscriminately, albeit, to save herself. She could feel the eyes of the Elders and some of the Dora Milaje glancing between her and Killmonger, distrust in their eyes, but she ignored them.

"So, you won't help the people, but you'll help this woman, this outsider?" Killmonger demanded, finally looking back at T'challa.

"She works for us," Shuri retorted. "She is a protector of the Black Panther."

"The hell does he need a protector for? Is he weak?"

Ramonda stood up, looking at Killmonger with an annoyed look on her face. "Son, we have entertained this charlatan for too long. Reject his request."

"Oh, I ain't requesting nothing," Killmonger mocked, looking at Ramonda. "Ask who I am?"

It was Shuri who answered. "You are Erik Stevens. An American black operative. A mercenary named Killmonger. That's who you are."

Killmonger grinned malevolently at Shuri, and Vielka was immediately on edge. "That's not my name, princess." He looked back to T'challa. "Ask me, King."

"No."

"Ask me!" Killmonger demanded angrily.

T'challa looked at him warningly, before turning and waving a hand in the air. "Take him away."

As the guards moved to detain him, one of the elders finally caved to curiosity, looking to Killmonger. " _Who are you?"_

" _I am N'Jadaka, son of Prince N'Jobu!"_ Killmonger shouted in Xhosa, fighting against the guards.

There was a stunned silence in the room, and Vielka cocked her head to one side, slightly confused. Apparently, by the looks of several others inside that room, she wasn't the only one. She looked from Killmonger to the Queen Mother, who seemed frozen with shock.

" _Son of N'Jobu?_ " an elder breathed, shock residing on her face.

"I found my daddy with Panther claws in his chest!" Killmonger shouted at T'challa now. "You ain't the son of a king. You a son of a murderer." Vielka stared at Killmonger for a moment, before looking at T'challa. She was stunned by what she saw on T'challa's face. He knew. He knew all of this already.

" _You're lying!"_ Ramonda hissed angrily. "Lies!"

W'Kabi stepped forward, Okoye looking at her beloved in shock as he held up a chain with a ring threaded onto it. It was identical to the one T'challa wore. "I'm afraid not, Queen Mother."

One of the elders gasped. "What?"

" _The descendant of N'Jobu,"_ another elder murmured as Ramonda held her hand out for the ring. W'Kabi stepped forward and handed it to her, as Okoye stared incredulously at W'Kabi, the look of betrayal written on her severe features.

"Hey Auntie," Killmonger mocked, looking malevolently at Ramonda. He glanced sideways at Vielka, as she narrowed her eyes at his condescending tone. He grinned and formed his lips as if to blow a kiss. She glared, gritting her teeth. He turned back to look at the elders and T'challa. "I'm exercising my blood right to challenge for the mantles of king..." he grinned malevolently and looked over to Vielka. "And Black Panther."

She grit her teeth. The thought of serving under this man had her on edge. She could just imagine what he might do if he took the mantle. She looked to T'challa, seeing him glaring at Killmonger.

"Do not do this, T'Challa," Ramonda begged.

"As the son of N'Jobu, he is within his rights," the Border Tribe elder reasoned, earning a glare from the Queen Mother.

"He has no rights here!" she retorted angrily.

"The challenge would take weeks to prepare!"The River tribe elder objected.

"Weeks? I don't need weeks. Whole country ain't gotta be there. I just need HIM and someone to get me outta these chains."

Vielka watched as T'challa moved and sat in his throne again, staring at the ring taken from Killmonger, that he now held in his hand.

"T'challa." Ramonda looked to her son in concern. "What do you know of this?"

Vielka's eyes drifted to T'challa's face, seeing him considering Killmonger. She didn't need to hear him say it. She sighed and shook her head, closing her eyes.

"I accept your challenge."

* * *

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	22. Chapter 22

**Weekend means writing!**

 **This chapter is a bit exciting, so it's also a little shorter, not too much shorter though.**

 **Thanks to those that reviewed and also those that have favourited or followed :)**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 22**

As they made their way to Warrior Falls, Vielka moved to stand beside T'challa.

"Not that I doubt your abilities, T'challa, but there's something we need to consider."

"What is that?" he asked, glancing sideways to her, a solemn look on his face.

"I'm meant to be the Protector of the Black Panther. If this ends badly..." she trailed off, letting the thought sink in.

"That sounds like you are doubting my abilities," T'challa muttered in reply with a disgruntled look on his face.

"I've fought Erik before. There's a reason why he survived when many of his squad, didn't. He nearly killed me, T'challa." T'challa turned to face her, his eyes portraying his surprise, before he looked at her seriously. "You need to know, he's dangerous."

He considered her for a moment, before looking to his sister and mother, who watched ahead as they approached Warrior Falls, the Dora slamming their spears to the ground and activating the drains in the river.

He sighed, before lowering his voice. "If anything happens to me, do whatever you must do to protect my sister and mother. Get them to safety."

"I'll do what I can." She said with a nod, and glanced towards the second barge that was carrying Killmonger to the falls. He was looking straight at her with a malevolent grin, and she narrowed her eyes at him in return. "You realise though, as Protector of the Black Panther, my duty is to the person that wears the mantle and not to you specifically, right? We can't just chop and change as we please."

"Isn't that more of your choice, than anything else?"

"Well, we've already made a mockery of your 'traditions'. Why stop now, I suppose," she said harshly.

He looked at her in disdain, before sighing and looking sadly to the river as it slipped below their barge. "I see your point. But, then you can't protect my mother and sister."

She pressed her lips into a thin line, before sighing. "Actually, I probably could," she replied quietly, a thought slipping into her mind. She smirked slightly as she considered how much it was going to hurt. "I'll manage. For now, you better fight like hell, T'challa."

 **oOOo**

They made their way down to the cliff face, Shuri, Ramonda and Vielka gathering on the ledge to watch the ritual combat, as T'challa had his powers of the heart shaped herb stripped from him.

The Dora Milaje spread themselves out around them on the ledges of the waterfall, watching as T'challa and Killmonger prepared for battle.

"He'll never beat T'challa," Shuri said to Ramonda cockily. "He should've just come to the first challenge and gotten it over with."

Vielka sighed, knowing that cockiness like Shuri's was misplaced. She had seen Killmonger fight, she had fought him herself, and while he was not enhanced as she had been, he had very nearly bested her, albeit, with the help of cunning and weaponry.

This fight would be different, but he was also not to be underestimated. Killmonger actively went about searching for a fight, improving on his skills, and fighting wars all over the world, without a thought for the lives he was taking. And unlike T'challa, he had nothing left to lose.

T'challa stood after having his powers stripped, looking to Killmonger. "This is your last chance. Throw down your weapons and we can handle this another way."

Killmonger smirked, thrusting his weapons into the water bed, before looking back to T'challa. "I lived my entire life, waiting for this moment." He began to unbuckle his body armour, slipping out of it and tossing it aside. "I trained, I lied, I killed, just to get here." Vielka narrowed her eyes as she saw scarring along his collar bone. It wasn't surgical, it seemed ritualistic. "I killed in America, Afghanistan, Iraq." As he removed his shirt, it was obvious to Vielka what the scars were.

All across his torso were small bumps, and Vielka recognised them as being self inflicted. She narrowed her eyes at them, they spread from his neck all the way down both of his arms, across his chest and down his abs and his back. Kill marks.

"I took life from my own brothers and sisters, right here on this continent." He bent down and picked up his weapons, before pointing his spear at T'challa. "And all this death, just so I could kill you."

The elders, the Dora, and the royal family were silent, watching in suspense as T'challa glanced to Zuri, giving a subtle nod.

Zuri looked to the ground darkly, before looking up to face the gathered crowd. "Let the challenge, begin." He slammed the end of his spear to the ground, signifying the beginning of the ritual combat.

As soon as Zuri was out of the way, Killmonger charged at T'challa with his weapon raised. He hacked at T'challa with his sword, which T'challa blocked with his spear, before swiping his own spear across, smashing into T'challa's shield.

Vielka watched as they continued to hack and block at each other. While they appeared evenly matched, she could see that Killmonger seemed to be stronger in general, and much fiercer. She bit her lip, concern racing through her mind as she looked around at the gathered crowd. Everyone had their eyes on the battle, but her gaze was met by Nakia. She bore the same look of concern as Vielka, and they nodded to each other.

She looked back to the battle just as T'challa swiped Killmonger's feet from beneath him, causing him to fall into the pool with a splash.

"Yield!" T'challa demanded, but Killmonger was quick to return to his feet and launch into attack again.

T'challa fended him off again, before glancing his spear's sharpened blade along Killmonger's face, slicing his cheek. Killmonger appeared enraged, launching another attack, seeming to gain more ferocity and speed as he lunged at T'challa. He blocked a swipe of Killmonger's spear, but the American was able to drop his sword low, slashing it across T'challa's thigh and drew blood there. T'challa fended him backwards, but Killmonger took his sword in both hands and began to hammer at T'challa's shield with great force, forcing him backwards.

"Snap out of it, T'challa!" Shuri shouted, as Ramonda looked on in dismay.

He brought his spear down to strike at Killmonger's head, but the outsider was able to catch his arm with his hand, countering and slashing his sword across T'challa's torso.

T'challa screamed out in pain, and Vielka closed her eyes and winced. Her instinct told her to run in and help T'challa, but she knew she couldn't. This was ritual combat and she had no right to interfere.

Vielka opened her eyes to watch again, as T'challa moved to strike out at Killmonger again, but his movement was sluggish now as he was losing blood. Killmonger blocked his strike and slashed at his arm, drawing yet more blood. T'challa tried to fight back again, but Killmonger plunged his spear into T'challa's torso. There were gasps all around her, as Vielka watched on in dismay, T'challa looking at Killmonger in shock.

Killmonger looked back at T'challa malevolently, as T'challa's breathing became laboured. He reefed the spear out from his torso and moved to try and knock away Killmonger, but Killmonger punched him in the head with great force, knocking him to the ground.

Vielka heard Shuri and Ramonda whimper in fear beside her, and Killmonger struck T'challa again, causing him to sprawl on the ground in pain.

"This is for my father," Killmonger sneered, raising his sword above his head. Vielka closed her eyes again, turning her head away slightly.

Suddenly, there was the sound of metal meeting metal. "Erik!" Vielka opened her eyes, seeing Zuri holding his spear against Killmonger's sword.

T'challa rolled to his back, trying to get to his feet. "Zuri, no."

"Stop!" Zuri demanded, knocking Killmonger's sword out of his hands.

"Zuri!" Okoye shouted warningly.

"Zuri, don't!" Ramonda also called out to the ritual elder.

Zuri stepped towards Killmonger, an apologetic look on his face, raising his spear away from Killmonger. "I am the cause of your father's death," Zuri said, earning murmurs of surprise from the gathered elders. "Not him. Take me."

Vielka narrowed her eyes and clenched her fists, seeing the look of anger on Killmonger's face. "Zuri!" she warned, making to move then.

It happened in a flash. Killmonger grabbed the spear from Zuri's hands, before spinning it and plunging it into Zuri's chest. "I'll take you both Uncle James!"

"No!" T'challa screamed out in horror, as Shuri and Ramonda cried in agony at seeing Zuri impaled on the spear. Killmonger reefed the spear back out from Zuri, causing him to crumple to the ground. Vielka glared at Killmonger.

T'challa tried to crawl towards Zuri. "Zuri, no!" But Zuri did not move, his eyes lifeless, as the water pooled around him.

Killmonger threw the spear aside, looking back to T'challa, a grin on his face.

T'challa suddenly grabbed a discarded spear, turning and lunging at Killmonger in desperation and rage, but the outsider easily dodged the wild swing, causing T'challa to fall back to the ground from the effort.

Killmonger smirked then, before looking to those gathered around the water fall. "Is this your king? Huh?" T'challa tried to stand again, wildly swinging the sword at Killmonger, but he ducked again. "Is this your king?" T'challa tried to bring the spear down onto Killmonger, but he blocked and countered, punching T'challa with great force in his torso near his wound, causing T'challa to fall to the ground.

As T'challa tried to get back to his feet, Killmonger kneed him in the face, flinging him backwards into the pool of water again.

"The Black Panther, whose supposed to lead you into the future?"

Ramonda and Shuri were in tears, watching as T'challa tried to get back to his feet.

"Come on, brother," Shuri cried in despair.

Behind her, Vielka heard one of the Dora Majors question Okoye. "Is there nothing that can be done?" Vielka glanced backwards, but Okoye remained silent. She turned her attention back to the fight at hand.

"Him?" Killmonger demanded, motioning to T'challa. "He's supposed to protect you?"

T'challa struggled to his feet, moving to try and strike at Killmonger once again, but he easily dodged it, before slinging T'challa across his shoulders and walking to the edge of the water fall.

"No..." Vielka breathed, her eyes going wide in horror.

"No!" Ramonda and Nakia gasped in unison.

Killmonger threw T'challa over the edge of the waterfall, sending him into the depths of the raging river below.

Ramonda screamed in horror, clutching at a wailing Shuri in her arms, as everyone stared in shock and dismay as Killmonger turned around smirking. "Nah... I'm your king."

 **oOOo**

Vielka clenched her fists and grit her jaw, before looking back to find Nakia hurrying down towards her. She quickly grabbed Ramonda and Shuri as Killmonger moved towards one of the elders, looking at her expectantly.

"Move, now!" Vielka hissed at Ramonda and Shuri. She ushered them along the rock ledge they were standing on towards Nakia.

Shuri and Ramonda tried to object but Nakia pulled at them imploringly. "Queen Mother, let's go!" Vielka turned back to watch as the royal necklace was lowered over Killmonger's neck, his eyes never leaving hers. "Vielka! Come on," Nakia called as she ushered Ramonda and Shuri into the tunnel towards the top of the water fall. "It is not safe here for you!"

"Go, I'll keep his attention on me so you can get them to safety." Nakia looked at her incredulously, as the gathered Wakandans saluted the new king, although somewhat less than enthusiastically. Vielka looked back to see Nakia hesitating. "Go! Hurry, get Agent Ross too, I'll figure something out!"

She turned back to look at Killmonger, as Nakia finally turned and ran, narrowing her eyes at him.

He grinned malevolently. "Detain her!" he shouted, pointing towards her.

She watched as Okoye moved to stand before her. "I am sorry." Vielka blinked in acknowledgement, but didn't say anything, allowing Okoye to lead her down the fall towards Killmonger.

She stood in the centre of the pool of water, staring straight ahead as he walked towards her, leering up and down at her. He stopped when he was barely a breath away from her face. "So, Banzai, this is where you've been hiding. What, did T'challa keep you as his pet?"

She didn't respond, continuing to stare off over the edge of the waterfall.

"You want to join T'challa?" he sneered moving to talk directly into her ear. She felt a chill through her body as his breath tickled the hairs on the back of her neck; it was not a good feeling. "I should kill you right here and throw you over the edge, but I think I'll keep you around for a little longer, have some fun with you."

She grit her teeth, but still didn't acknowledge Killmonger. Suddenly, she felt a slight, stinging pain across her face as he smacked her hard with the back of his hand.

She barely moved her face, but looked sideways at him, narrowing her eyes. "You're going to regret that."

He grinned again, moving closer to her face. "Heh, you want to hit me? You work for me now, remember?" He moved around her, her eyes following him.

"For someone who is all about empowering his people, it surprises me that you want to keep me around," she sneered. "Isn't it a sign of weakness?"

He hit her again, with a closed fist this time and Vielka felt the force behind it, stumbling sideways slightly, but still didn't fall. "You don't tell me what weakness is."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she replied, running her tongue along the inside of her cheek to see if he had managed to break the skin. She felt nothing and looked at him expectantly. "Well, if you're quite done."

He looked at her angrily. "Take her away!" He ordered.

* * *

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	23. Chapter 23

**Mid week love people!**

 **Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and followed since the weekend update.**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 23**

Vielka's whole body ached as she took another punch from Killmonger. Her hands were bound behind her back as he then smashed his knee to her face, sending her flying backwards.

While he hadn't been able to draw blood, she was certain at least one of her ribs was broken and she possibly had concussion, by the way her head was swimming. It had to be making him angrier, not being able to make her bleed; she was almost certain that's what his aim was here.

The bracelets that contained her armour had been removed from her, so now she was completely reliant on her skin's vibranium attributes to protect her, but that was only doing so much. So long as he didn't decide to pull a vibranium weapon on her, or managed to give her internal bleeding, she would be able to deal with whatever he dished out. For now.

Her vision was blurry as she looked up to see him glaring down at her. He grabbed her about the neck, moving to lift her again, but Okoye hurried forward.

"My King, the ceremony is ready," she said, sounding breathless and glancing down at Vielka in concern.

"Heh," Killmonger scoffed, shoving Vielka back to the ground roughly. "You and I will talk again real soon." He looked at Okoye. "Lock her up."

"Looking forward to it," Vielka said with a grunt as she sat up. Okoye sighed, but nodded, hoisting Vielka to her feet as Killmonger left the room.

"You should have left with Nakia," Okoye murmured as she helped Vielka walk, slinging her right arm around her shoulders and taking some of her weight.

"I needed to make sure they could get away, the easiest way to do that was to make sure his attention was on me. They needed the distraction so they could leave and get Agent Ross. I'll be fine," Vielka panted breathlessly.

Okoye sighed again, before taking her into a cell. "I hope you are right, it won't take long before he figures out your unique abilities and weakness." She began to undo Vielka's cuffs glancing up through her lashes at the Australian. "Why does he seem to be so against you?"

Vielka sighed, biting her lip. "Putting it simply, they wanted to put me down permanently and sent him and his men after me, but I wasn't so...nice... back then, either." Vielka grunted as pain shot through her rib from the effort of breathing. "I left only him alive."

Okoye was silent, stunned by what Vielka had disclosed, finally taking the cuffs off of her wrists. "It seems, that may not have been a wise decision," she said finally. She left Vielka in a cell, her hands unbound, to allow her to move freely during the healing process.

Healing ribs was apparently more painful than healing skin, her whole entire rib cage seemed to be resetting, not just her lone broken rib. She struggled to breathe, clutching at her chest while hunched over on all fours. She felt a pop in her chest, causing her to scream in agony, the throbbing in her head increasing, before everything darkened around her.

 **oOOo**

Vielka was woken by the sound of metal against metal. She turned her head to the side, looking to see a small, familiar woman sliding through a tiny gap in the wall, using a metal bar to pry open the metal sheeting.

"Nakia?" Vielka murmured, struggling to sit up. Her chest still hurt around her rib cage, and she grunted as she tried to straighten. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get you out of here," Nakia murmured, slipping into the room and helping her sit up.

"I told you to get the Queen Mother, Ross and Shuri out of here," she hissed in annoyance, feeling a twinge in her rib cage that had her grit her teeth.

"I am, and I came back for you and this too," Nakia replied, pulling a glowing purple herb from her pocket.

Vielka stared at it for a moment. "You came back for a plant?"

"It's not just any plant, it's what gives our Black Panther his power," Nakia explained, slipping it back into her pocket, before helping Vielka to her feet. "This is the last one; Killmonger burnt the rest of the crop."

Vielka considered the small Wakandan for a moment, and glanced at the plant in her hand. This must have something to do with the coronation ceremony T'Challa had mentioned before. "Still, you should get out of here before Killmonger comes back," she said finally, catching her breath and straightening properly, her muscles feeling tight and painful around her ribs.

"You must come with us," Nakia implored.

"You're safer without me. I made a promise to T'Challa and this is the easiest way to keep Killmonger's attention elsewhere, no matter the cost," Vielka murmured solemnly, looking away from Nakia.

Nakia frowned. "And if he kills you?"

"Would it be less than I deserved, honestly?" She remembered clear as day what she had done to Erik Stevens and his JSOC unit. It was clearly imprinted in her mind, along with many others. It was hard to forget that much blood, or their faces.

"I don't think T'challa would agree with you, nor your friend, what was his name, Barnes? You protected him against the Black Panther's wishes."

Vielka furrowed her brow and glared at Nakia, unsure of how the Wakandan spy knew any of that, no one in Wakanda was supposed to know except T'challa and Shuri. "What?"

Nakia looked annoyed at her, closing her eyes before speaking again. "Damn it, Vielka, I cannot protect them on my own! I am a simple spy!" Nakia hissed. "I have a plan, but I need help! You're stronger, faster and better equipped than I am. We need you!"

Vielka was taken aback by the ferocity in Nakia's voice as she then glared at Vielka. The Australian looked at her grimly, before scoffing slightly, smirking as she looked away. "That hurt, didn't it?" Considering their less than amicable meeting of each other, which seemed so long ago, it was odd to hear Nakia such a thing.

"Shut up and come on," Nakia muttered sullenly, walking back to the gap in the wall.

 **oOOo**

Everett turned around to see Nakia and Vielka enter the lab; Vielka although appearing emotionless, seemed to be in pain, as he noticed her holding her side as she walked around the lab, ignoring him. Nakia quickly moved with purpose around the lab, while Vielka grabbed a pair of swords from a work bench to one side of the lab.

"What's wrong?" Everett asked, noting the concerned look on Nakia's face as she approached him and both of their hasty behaviour. He hadn't heard from anyone since Nakia left to watch the Ritual Combat between Killmonger and T'challa for the throne. The look on their faces had him fearing the worst.

The small Wakandan threw a thick and colourful cloak towards him and he caught it, looking at it in confusion. "The King is dead, come with us unless you want to join him." Everett looked from her to Vielka, completely shocked and speechless, as the tall Australian seemed to look around the work benches for something. It explained her sombre appearance, and possibly even her injury.

"I don't have any armour, Nakia, if we get attacked with Vibranium weapons; I'm not sure how much help I'll be to you." She moved to a cupboard, to one side of the lab and grabbed some items, shoving them into a bag hurriedly.

"Where we are going, Vibranium weapons aren't really a concern," Nakia replied bluntly, gathering a bag and also throwing things inside it, before ushering Everett away in front of her.

"Where are we going?" he asked in mild concern as Vielka followed behind them, glancing back at the lab one more time.

"Don't ask questions."

Nakia led them through low tunnels and air conditioning ducts throughout the labs, until they were outside. They then slunk through the night, being careful to stick to the shadows. Everett followed behind Nakia with Vielka covering their rear as they made their way towards a wooded area not far from the city.

"It's me," Nakia whispered as they approached an area surrounded by high grass and big trees.

Everett looked around Nakia, noticing Shuri cowering in the arms of an older woman, holding a metal ring blade up defensively. He had to assume this was Ramonda, the Queen Mother, Shuri and T'challa's Mother. They both looked like they had been crying, their eyes swollen and blood shot.

"Vielka! You're alright?" Ramonda gasped, moving to greet her, but Vielka shook her head, motioning for her to stay where she was. She looked from Vielka to Everett then. "Nakia, Vielka, who is this man?" She demanded.

"He's a friend of mine," Vielka replied, before furrowing her brow. "I mean, T'challa's. I mean..." she sighed looking in exasperation to Nakia.

"He saved my life," Nakia clarified. The Queen Mother raised her eyebrows, before looking Everett up and down. He gave a grim smile, unsure how he should greet the woman, let alone convey his condolences when they had just lost both kings of Wakanda in a short period of time.

He saw Vielka turn and stalk away through the long grass, heading away from them, and Everett furrowed his brow, concerned about where she was going on her own. She was injured and they were fugitives, it didn't seem wise for her to go off on her own. He was about to follow her when the Queen Mother spoke. "Where's Okoye?"

"Okoye is not coming," Nakia murmured, pulling what appeared to be more of the thick cloaks she had given him out of the bag she carried.

Ramonda and Shuri stared at Nakia sadly, seemingly disheartened at the news that the Dora Milaje General would continue with her duties, as Vielka re-emerged from the long grass on the other side of them, making Everett jump slightly. She was now changed into black fatigues, strapping her swords onto her back.

"The Dora Milaje serve the country, not the one running it. They will serve whoever is running the country, so long as they take power fairly." Everett didn't miss the glare thrown at Vielka from the Queen Mother and he was certain neither did Vielka, but she just turned her gaze to adjust the straps on her blade holsters, wincing slightly as she reached back. "Ugh." She grunted and leaned forward, holding her side.

"Hey, are you alright?" Everett asked, moving to check on her, but she held up a finger that stopped him in his tracks. She reached into her boot, pulling a small knife out and cutting at her fatigue shirt at the top of the right shoulder, before ripping it off. She did the same to the other side, making her top sleeveless, swinging her arms around to test the range of movement, before slipping the knife back into her boot.

"I'll be fine. We should move though," Vielka said her last words to Nakia.

Nakia nodded in agreement as she handed the cloaks to Ramonda and Shuri. "Put this around you, where we are going it's cold." She went to hand one to Vielka too, but she shook her head and Nakia didn't push the subject, wrapping the blanket around herself instead before checking on the Queen Mother and Shuri.

"Let's go," Nakia ordered, motioning in the direction they needed to go. Vielka moved to one side letting them pass her, and as Everett walked past he noticed her golden brown eyes continued to rove their surrounds. It reminded him of an animal, on constant alert. He didn't hear her follow up the rear as they followed behind Nakia, so Everett slowed, waiting for Vielka to catch up.

"Move it, Ross," came her quiet voice from somewhere to his right, making him jump. She was silent when she moved, so he hadn't realised she had caught up already.

He glanced towards the shadows nervously. "Are you sure you're alright?" he asked quietly, as moonlight drifted across the shadows she was moving through, playing on her golden brown eyes.

"Like you care." Her retort was icy and Everett pressed his lips into a thin line to keep from biting back. "I'm fine," she grunted after a couple of seconds. "Keep up with the Queen Mother and Shuri, I'm not saving you from the lions and baboons."

He furrowed his brow, before looking around, concerned when he heard the low growling further out over the plains of Wakanda. He heard Vielka's chuckle fade in volume as she moved further away from him.

 **oOOo**

Slowly, Nakia had led them towards the snow covered mountains; the air was getting thinner and colder. Once she was happy with the distance between them and Golden City, Vielka had begun to move to scout around the area, keeping an eye out for anyone who might be tracking them. She finally rejoined them when they stopped on a mountain path, having run throughout the night, they needed the rest.

The sun was beginning to rise over the mountain, turning the sky a pale blue, although there were no sounds of birds or animals to greet the sun, which put Vielka on edge.

Vielka's rib ached, her muscles around it also seeming to be straining again, from exerting herself without rest and possibly tension.

"So where are we going again?" Everett asked, looking out over the side of the mountain they were currently working their way up.

"We're taking the Heart-Shaped Herb to Jabariland," Nakia answered, walking closer to the edge of the mountain path, looking around.

"Heart-Shaped Herb?" Everett looked at Nakia with raised eyebrows. "What is that?"

"It gives whoever takes it heightened abilities," Shuri explained, helping her mother to her feet.

"It's what made T'Challa so strong," Nakia added.

"Like Banzai?"

"No, not like Banzai," Vielka retorted, rolling her eyes.

"No one is like Banzai," Shuri replied beginning to walk again, passing by Vielka. She winked at Shuri, trying to cheer her up, but Shuri responded with a grim smile that didn't reach her eyes like her usual smile would.

"Nakia. I don't like this," Ramonda began to object, Vielka looking at her with mild interest as she stopped walking. Nakia turned to look at the Queen Mother. "The Herb belongs to us. We may be creating a bigger monster with M'Baku."

Vielka furrowed her brow at the thought of the large Jabari leader she had seen for the first time at the first ritual battle. He was already very strong, head strong too. However, she was not getting involved in the politics of the country now; she was here to protect Ramonda and Shuri at the request of T'challa. Still, he had to be better than that warmonger on the throne now. From his tirade at his Ritual Challenge with T'Challa, he was intent on Wakanda remaining secretive and primitive, he would never consider arming the world with their vibranium weapons.

Vielka moved further along the mountain path, still remaining within ear shot of her charges, she looked in the direction Nakia had shown her earlier, noticing the face of a gorilla was carved into the mountainside; they would soon be entering Jabariland.

"Nakia, you should take it yourself," Ramonda urged the Wakandan spy.

"I am a spy with no army," Nakia retorted, Vielka detecting the slightest hint of annoyance in her tone, and it mildly surprised her that she would speak like that to Ramonda. Even Vielka wasn't game to speak to the Queen Mother like that. "I wouldn't stand a chance."

Ramonda sighed, before nodding hesitantly. "We'll go." They began walking towards Vielka again. The Australian looked around the snow covered rocks surrounding them, listening carefully. Her eyes picked up movement to her left, the sound of rocks crunching under foot reaching her ears.

She motioned to Nakia, catching her attention as she slowly drew a sword from her back. Nakia held an arm across Everett, stopping them in their tracks.

"Oh, boy," Shuri muttered, crouching slightly as her mother grabbed her.

Nakia held her finger to her lips. "Ssshhh."

Vielka continued to listen, slowly beginning to move back towards her charges, her sword in hand as she tried to find where exactly the threat was, until she realised they were surrounded. All around them, chanting and grunting began to sound, and Vielka sprinted back to the group, skidding to a halt in front of them, drawing her second sword.

The Jabari began to appear, stepping out from the boulders, ridges and cliff faces all around them. The path behind them was cut off, and she spun around to look to their front as more appeared. Vielka grit her teeth, there were way too many of them for her to take on her own, let alone with the help of Nakia, not to mention she still hadn't fully recovered from Killmonger's beatings.

She sighed and lowered her swords as they approached with their spears raised at her.

"Oh, shit," Everett breathed.

"Look down, stay calm," Nakia instructed, but Vielka ignored her as she eyed off the men approaching them. "Vielka, we do not want to start a conflict with them." She raised her swords again, causing the men approaching to falter and their eyes widen, but she slowly moved to sheath them, careful to show the men she wasn't there to start a fight. She couldn't risk Ramonda and Shuri by starting unnecessary conflict.

 **oOOo**

They were taken into Jabariland, Vielka's weapon's taken from her, although, she was mildly surprised she was not bound. She was kept under tight guard, separated from the others, with what seemed to be the biggest Jabari guards all around her, which she found rather amusing.

Jabariland was a city, built into the side of the snow capped mountains. While it was no Golden City, she still found it quite impressive and breathtaking.

They were led into a throne room that overlooked the city; M'Baku seated on his throne and watched them enter with a scowl on his face. The two guards escorting Nakia's group thumped the end of their spears on the ground, making them jump, while Vielka was pushed to her knees. She grunted slightly as she felt pain around her rib again at the jolt from landing on the ground roughly.

She looked up at M'Baku, narrowing her eyes as his gaze met hers, seeing his threatening glare.

Ramonda stepped forward, a determined look on her face although tears were threatening to flow, M'Baku's attention turned to her. "My son; was murdered in Ritual Combat."

M'Baku furrowed his brow, appearing mildly concerned at the news. "Were the odds fair?"

"Yes...-" Nakia began but was cut off by M'Baku.

"So it was less a murder, than a defeat," he stated pointedly.

"Do not rub our noses in it!" Shuri exclaimed angrily.

"Silence!" M'Baku ordered, looking severely at Shuri. Vielka had to admit, she was impressed as he did not shout, but his voice achieved the desired effect. "I make the pronouncements here, girl."

Everett stepped forward and Vielka inwardly groaned immediately. "Look, uh, your highness, the new king is a US..." M'Baku's attention turned to the American with a look of disdain. He grunted loudly.

Everett faltered for a moment, before continuing. "The new king..." M'Baku's men joined in, grunting and barking as Everett tried to speak. Vielka rolled her eyes as Everett looked around the room in confusion, seemingly oblivious to the Jabari's thoughts on outsiders, even though it was clearly written on all their faces.

Finally, the room quietened again. "You cannot talk!" M'Baku exclaimed, his voice now booming throughout the room as he addressed the CIA agent. "One more word and I will feed you to my children."

She raised an eyebrow, glancing towards Everett to see him swallow heavily and eyes widened with a look of nervousness appearing on his face.

M'Baku smirked slightly, looking to Ramonda and Shuri. "I'm kidding. We are vegetarians." He began to laugh, even snorting slightly, and Vielka did her best to stifle a laugh of her own, more so at the look on Everett's face than M'Baku's joke.

She must have been unsuccessful as M'Baku's attention returned to her, a bemused look spreading across his features. "Ah, the protector of the Black Panther, you have been awfully quiet, why are you here and not protecting the new Black Panther?" he demanded; standing and walking towards her, a menacing smirk on his face.

Nakia moved to speak, but M'Baku held a hand up, looking at her warningly.

Vielka did not answer, knowing that no matter what she might say; M'Baku would take issue with it. She knew the type, close minded. She had faced many in her time, even before she was captured in the Middle East. A woman in the military who trained to be infantry was seen as taboo in her time. He narrowed his eyes at her as he stopped in front of her. "Hmm, why are you here?" He poked her in her right shoulder with the end of his club, but she still didn't respond.

"Great Gorilla M'Baku," Nakia said, trying to draw his attention away from Vielka.

"I am trying to have a conversation," M'Baku retorted, looking pointedly at her before turning his attention back to Vielka. "You, speak. Why are you here? You don't belong here."

He went to poke her with the end of his club again, this time at her left side, but Vielka reacted instinctively wanting to protect her injury, grabbing the wooden club with her hand and reefing it from his grasp, spinning it and knocking his feet out from underneath him, before tossing the club aside. She winced as the pain around her rib increased as he fell to the floor with a loud thud, but she was soon knocked forward when the guards behind her hit her with the bottom of their spears, causing her to fall to the floor.

M'Baku was quick to his feet while Vielka began to push herself back up to her hands and knees, picking up his club and grabbing her by the hair. "How dare you!"

"You poked the tiger first," Vielka growled as he brought her face up to his, she grabbed at his hand with her right arm, unable to raise her left that high due to her injured rib, wincing as the pain shot through her torso. He glared at her, his eyes drifting to her ribs for a brief second, and she could see he was clenching his jaw when he stared back into her eyes, but she didn't look away, refusing to bow to the will of the Jabari leader.

"M'Baku!" Nakia shouted, causing him to stop and look at her. "Great Gorilla, M'Baku," Nakia repeated, dropping to her knees slowly. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the glowing purple herb, holding it out towards the Jabari man in the palm of her hand. "This is why we are here."

M'Baku stared at the herb, lowering Vielka to the floor again, loosening his grip on her hair. She released a sigh of relief, watching as he stared in wonder at the pretty herb.

"To offer this to you." Nakia glanced at Vielka, who nodded, conveying that she was alright. Nakia looked back up to M'Baku. "An outsider sits on our throne. Only you can help us stop him."

M'Baku furrowed his brow, looking from the glowing herb in Nakia's hands to Ramonda and Shuri, who looked sadly at M'Baku, a look of defeat on their faces. Ramonda began to lower herself to her knees. Shuri and Everett followed suit, showing their respect to the Jabari leader.

He considered them for a moment before looking to Vielka, whose hair he still held in his hand. She glanced back up into his eyes, and noted there seemed to be a softer emotion there now, with a hint of realisation. She was careful not to remove her gaze from his, challenging him to make his next decision.

He released her hair, causing the strands that had strayed from her ponytail to fall across her face, before he looked back to Ramonda and Shuri. "Come with me." He began to walk away, the guards moving to lift Vielka to her feet roughly, while Nakia, Ramonda, Shuri and Everett cautiously followed M'Baku from the room.

* * *

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	24. Chapter 24

**I was so busy doing some veteran support work I didn't get to update, sorry :(**

 **But, its okay, I'm here now haha**

 **Thanks for all the love people :D**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 24**

They were led to another location in the mountain city, the room seeming to be cut into the side of the mountain top itself. Vielka was led under heavy guard at the back of the group, her hands now bound, Everett noticing the guards seemed much more hostile to her now, since her outburst in the throne room before.

As he saw Ramonda, Nakia and Shuri enter the room ahead of him, he heard them all gasp in surprise and it put him on edge.

"Impossible!" Nakia exclaimed. All three women moved hastily into the room. He was quick to follow, staring in amazement at what they found there.

On the floor, lying in a bed of snow; was the body of T'challa. He was covered from chest to feet in the ice too.

Everett stood to one side as Vielka was led inside. "My god," she murmured, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Is he breathing?" Nakia asked, leaning forward as Ramonda and Shuri began to touch his body, possibly trying to confirm they weren't dreaming.

"He's in a coma, barely clinging to life," M'Baku answered, stopping beside Vielka. "One of our fishermen found him at the edge of the river border. He brought him to me."

"Why do you have him in the snow?" Shuri demanded.

"To slow down his heart beat, keep him alive," Vielka answered for the Jabari leader, earning her a glare from the large man. She returned his glare with an emotionless stare, her golden brown eyes seeming to glower slightly at the bigger man. The Australian had guts; Everett couldn't deny that, watching as M'Baku was the first to look away.

"Yes, it is the only thing keeping him from joining the ancestors," M'Baku agreed, looking back to the women and leaning on his club. Everett couldn't help but notice he seemed slightly less hostile towards Vielka, after she had brought him to the floor in the throne room, unlike his guards. Or at least he was less direct about it.

"We need to get him to my lab," Shuri said to Ramonda and Nakia. "I can heal him there."

"Take him," M'Baku scoffed. "He'll be dead in seconds."

"And Killmonger isn't exactly going to just let us waltz in there and say hey, we're just borrowing the healing table, don't mind us," Vielka reasoned, shaking her head. Everett noticed M'Baku smirk at Vielka's comment.

Ramonda, Shuri and Nakia stared at Vielka and M'Baku, considering them for a moment, before Ramonda looked to Nakia. "Nakia, the herb," she breathed. Nakia was quick to pull it from her pocket, handing it to Ramonda.

Everett watched as Ramonda set to work immediately, crushing and grinding the herb up in a nearby mortar and pestle, before adding the powder to hot water.

The three Wakandan women sat around the snow bed, looking at the steaming concoction Ramonda had made, with a desperate look on their faces before closing their eyes as Ramonda held the cup of solution in front of her.

"I call upon the ancestors. I call upon Bast." Ramonda opened her eyes, looking up to the ceiling. "I am here with my son, T'challa. Heal him."

Everett watched on with great interest as the women performed the ritual, unaware that M'Baku had turned to glare at him. It wasn't until Vielka jabbed him in the arm with a finger that he noticed the Jabari leader was baring down on him with a look of disdain. Vielka motioned for him to look away, as she did too. He did as directed, still able to see them performing the ritual in the corner of his eye.

"We must bury him. Cover him, cover him," they heard Ramonda urge the other two Wakandan women.

"Okay," Shuri said breathlessly as they began to scratch at the snow, pushing it over him. They began to chant in their native tongue.

"Wake up, T'challa," Nakia whispered.

Everett pressed his lips into a thin line, noticing Vielka glancing sideways towards the snow, sighing as she lowered her head slightly. Wakanda was proving to be nothing like anything he had ever imagined, nor was the strange bodyguard who stood in front of him.

 **oOOo**

Vielka closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she began to quietly meditate, willing her injuries to heal. She wasn't one to meditate often, although it wasn't like she had anything better to do at that point. She was not sure how long she had been meditating when she heard M'Baku speak.

"You are injured?" he murmured. Her eyes shot open and she looked sideways at the Jabari leader in alarm, to find him looking down at her with a curious look on his face, his deep brown eyes narrowed slightly as he considered her. He was a lot closer to her then she would have liked, but she wasn't going to show any sign of weakness to the large man.

"Somewhat," she replied quietly, glancing back at the three women to see they still sat, praying, around T'challa's body. She looked back to the large Wakandan in front of her.

"You are brave," the Jabari man murmured again, leaning on his club as he looked at her. "None have been brave enough to strike at me as you did."

"You poked me first," she retorted sullenly, saying the words before she could stop herself. She looked away, pressing her lips into a thin line before looking back to M'Baku and expecting him to be angry. She was stunned to see him smirking at her, although, there was no malice in his face.

"Are all outsiders like you?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

She looked to her right where Everett was standing, looking around as if he was trying to mind his own business, although she was certain he was listening. She turned back to M'Baku, shaking her head. "Nobody is like me," she replied curtly.

Suddenly, there was a gasp and she heard the three women exclaim, whipping around in alarm and ready to defend them, only to find T'challa sitting up in the snow, very much awake.

She stared at him in disbelief, as did Everett.

"Uh... what the...?" Vielka muttered. M'Baku howled with laughter at Vielka, smacking her on the back as he did so. She winced from the force, but noted there was no threat in the movement, and also no pain in her rib anymore. She took a couple of quick deep breaths, but sure enough, it seemed like all pain had left her ribs. She sighed, rolling her eyes before walking to kneel in front of T'challa as Ramonda, Shuri and Nakia hugged and fussed over him.

T'challa looked around, first at the Wakandans holding him and then his eyes met Vielka's and she smiled. "Mate, what took you so long?"

He smiled back, but his smile faltered as he began to shiver and Vielka chuckled. "Do you have a blanket?" he asked of those around him, earning more chuckles and relieved laughter.

 **oOOo**

"Killmonger has the whole support of our military," Nakia explained as they debriefed T'challa, who sat in a blanket in M'Baku's throne room. Nakia sighed sadly, before continuing. "And... he burned all of the gardens of Heart-shaped Herb."

T'challa clenched his jaw. Killmonger was set on completely destroying all of their traditions and setting war upon the world. T'challa remembered his words to his father in the astral plain.

" _ **A monster of our own making.**_ _"_

"Of course he did. That's what he was trained to do," Everett replied matter-of-factly. T'challa turned his attention to Agent Ross. "His unit used to work with the CIA to destabilise foreign countries. They would always strike at transitions of power, like an election year or the death of a monarch." T'challa considered Everett's explanation as he spoke. "You get control of government, the military..."

"Our resources," T'challa murmured, realising what Everett was getting at.

"Right."

"The Great Mound."

"Our Vibranium, all of my designs," Shuri added, concern lacing her voice.

"He will send our weapons all over the world," T'challa breathed, considering what he knew they had stock piled at The Great Mound, and even at The Facility. Hopefully, he had not yet found the secret establishment.

T'challa stood, beginning to pace as he considered what to do next. He was unarmed, understaffed and Killmonger was the exact opposite. He looked to Nakia. "You must get them out of Wakanda safely," he ordered, pointing to his mother and sister.

"What?" Ramonda demanded in disbelief, staring at her son in astonishment.

"What about you?" Shuri also demanded, looking at him angrily.

He looked seriously at his sister and mother. "The challenge will have to continue." He knew what he needed to do, he would not leave Wakanda in the hands of a man who sought to conquer others.

Ramonda stood, walking towards her son with a determined look on her face. "T'challa, we will not leave Wakanda."

T'challa looked to his mother seriously, feeling slightly annoyed that she questioned his directive. "It is my duty to keep you safe."

Shuri stood up and moved to stand beside their mother. "If he gets control of our technology, nowhere will be safe," Shuri reasoned pointedly. She pulled aside her blanket, revealing a silver toothed necklace. His Black Panther mantle. A smirk played on his lips as he looked at it in her hand, the light dancing on the silver teeth. He chuckled as she walked towards him with a knowing grin on her lips. He lowered the blanket from his shoulders as she raised the mantle above his head, draping it down and around his neck, before wrapping the blanket back around him.

"The Black Panther lives," Shuri said proudly. "And when he fights for the fate of Wakanda, I will be right there beside him," she said looking at him pointedly.

"As will I." Nakia moved to stand beside T'challa, and he looked at her too, seeing the determined look on her face.

"I'm in too," Everett said, stepping forward. Everyone looked at him with raised eyebrows. "What? You're gonna need all the help you can get," he said with a knowing smirk, folding his arms. T'challa grinned at the CIA agent, before nodding gratefully. He heard Vielka scoff quietly behind him, turning to look at his Australian counterpart, who stood slightly away from everyone, leaning against a wall.

"And what about you, Vielka?" T'challa asked expectantly.

She looked at T'challa, a slightly perturbed look on her face. "Don't you know?" She grinned, walking towards them before stopping in front of T'Challa and winked, folding her arms across her chest. "Banzai leads the charge." T'challa grinned as she nodded to him.

They were interrupted by the sound of someone yawning loudly, turning around to look at M'Baku, seated on the throne. "Are you done?" He looked around the room at them all. "Are you done?" He mocked.

T'challa smiled grimly at the Jabari leader. "Can you give me and Lord M'Baku a moment?" T'challa waited as they began to leave the room. "Not you, Vielka."

The Australian raised her eyebrows but stayed as requested. T'challa walked towards M'Baku, seated on his throne. M'Baku sighed, looking down in his lap, his lips pressed together, as Vielka moved to stand beside T'challa.

"Thank you," T'challa said, stopping before the throne.

M'Baku looked up, meeting T'challa's gaze. "I owed you a great debt. A life for a life," M'Baku murmured solemnly. "Consider it paid." T'challa noticed his gaze move to look at Vielka. She didn't falter under his gaze, her expression emotionless.

"Please, allow my mother to stay here," T'challa requested, hoping to appeal to the Jabari leader's protective instinct. He may not have been able to convince his sister to stay out of the fight, but there was no way he would allow his mother to be put at risk.

M'Baku looked back to T'challa. "No harm will come to her, I give you my word." He patted his hand on his heart, nodding to T'challa with a sincere and understanding expression. T'challa felt a slight feel of relief wash over him, knowing at the very least he could keep his mother safe.

T'challa considered him for a moment, before speaking again. "You know, I could use an army, as well?" T'challa said in an offhand manner, with a slight smirk.

M'Baku gave a mocking laugh. "I bet you could." His smile disappeared from his face as quickly as it had appeared. "But no." T'challa heard a slight 'hmph' escape Vielka beside him, earning a glare from M'Baku. T'challa looked at her pointedly and she rolled her golden brown eyes in response, unfolding her arms from across her chest. "I will give no Jabari lives towards your cause," M'Baku said, leaning forward in his throne.

"It is our cause," T'challa retorted. "It is for all of us."

"Oh, us?" M'Baku mocked, leaning back again before standing. "You are the first king to come here in centuries and now, you speak of us?" He strode towards T'challa, Vielka moving to take a step forward protectively, but T'challa put a hand to her arm, stopping her. M'Baku's eyes drifted to Vielka again and he raised his eyebrows slightly.

"I cannot speak for past kings," T'challa defended, stepping away from Vielka. "But an enemy sits on the throne right now. We both know the power of Vibranium. If Killmonger gains control of it, who do you think he will come for next?"

M'Baku looked at T'challa as he considered his words for a moment, his eyes drifting to Vielka once again, before looking back to T'challa. He turned and walked back to his throne slowly, sitting down to look back to T'challa. "We will not help you."

T'challa sighed, nodding once. "Then, if anything should happen to me, Vielka will return to protect my mother and any of the others."

T'challa saw Vielka's head whip around to look at him, a look of exasperation on her features. "What?"

"I have no army, the odds are against us, you must know that, Vielka. If I am beaten, you must ensure you survive and protect my mother and the Jabari. Killmonger will not stop until he controls everyone in Wakanda." He looked at her pointedly. He had an ulterior motive, and he hoped Vielka would pick up on it.

She glanced from T'challa, up to the Jabari leader, who had turned to watch their exchange with great interest. "I don't plan on letting Killmonger win, but if the worst happens, I'll do what I can to protect them all."

T'challa took a sideways glance at M'Baku, seeing his gaze focused solely on Vielka, his eyes narrowed at her with a curious look on his face. When he finally turned to look at M'Baku, the larger man was quick to look back to T'Challa, carefully keeping his face void of any discernible expression.

"She will give you the best chance to escape with my mother, if the worst should happen."

"The Jabari do not run!" M'Baku sneered in an indignant tone.

"They don't fight, either, apparently," Vielka muttered under her breath, folding her arms again and looking sideways at T'challa with a smirk. It was obvious M'Baku had heard her though, as he looked at her incredulously.

T'challa did his best to subdue the smirk that threatened to grace his lips, turning to look at Vielka. "Come, Vielka, we must plan an attack." She nodded at him, turning to walk away with him.

"Wait," M'Baku called, making T'challa turn around expectantly. M'Baku furrowed his brow again and looked to Vielka. "I would like to speak to the outsider." M'Baku's voice was much softer than usual, and he seemed almost hesitant, so unlike the Jabari leader. T'challa raised his eyebrows and looked at Vielka, who shrugged nonchalantly in reply. "Alone."

T'challa narrowed his eyes at M'Baku, opening his mouth to argue. He knew that the Jabari leader held a harsh prejudice against outsiders, and he was well aware of his temper, but Vielka stepped back to walk towards M'Baku. "Its fine, T'challa, I've already knocked him on his ass once today." T'challa smirked, seeing the look of contempt on M'Baku's face, but nodded once and left the room.

 **oOOo**

Vielka stood in the throne room, looking at M'Baku expectantly as he sat upon his throne. She knew T'challa had hoped to appeal to M'Baku's pride by making her agree to return and protect Ramonda and the Jabari. Whether it worked, or offended him, was another matter entirely.

He sighed, standing and moving to stand in front of Vielka. She smirked slightly, raising an eyebrow as he looked down at her. He was much taller than her, towering at least another foot and a half over her, as well as being bigger in general. Still, it wouldn't be too hard to put him back on the ground, if necessary.

"Why do you fight for T'challa?" he asked finally, narrowing his eyes at her.

She was not expecting that. She was certain he would tell her to leave Wakanda, or that he wanted revenge for her knocking him to the ground. "What do you mean?"

"You are an outsider; you have no reason to risk your life for Wakanda." He stepped closer, leaning down towards her face, so he was barely a few centimetres from her. She didn't move, as much as every nerve in her body screamed at her to knock him away, staring straight back into his large, deep brown eyes. "So why do you insist on fighting for Wakanda now?"

She cocked her head to one side, frowning at the Jabari leader's question. While she sensed he was still suspicious of her, she could also see his curiosity.

"Because," she said softening her gaze and sighing. "It's the right thing to do."

M'Baku straightened, raising an eyebrow as he considered her. "You truly believe that?" The scepticism was obvious in his voice.

She was quiet for a moment, looking at M'Baku thoughtfully, considering her answer carefully. "I've not been in Wakanda long, but it's the closest thing I have to a home and family now. I'm doing what's right for it," she answered, looking down to the floor as she considered her own thoughts, her own family passing through her thoughts fleetingly. "Regardless of how the majority feel about me, there are people here who I've developed a bond with, and I'll help them however I can." She took a deep breath and looked back up to M'Baku, to find he was staring at her through narrowed eyes again. She balked slightly, furrowing her brow. "Something wrong?"

"Perhaps," his eyes softened and he sighed. "You are not what I expected," he murmured, looking her up and down one more time. He slammed the end of his club on the ground once, making her jump slightly. A guard hurried into the throne room. "Get this outsider her weapons; she is going to need them."

"Vielka," she retorted in annoyance at his manner of addressing her. "My name is Vielka."

He raised an eyebrow at her, before nodding. "Vielka."

* * *

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey guys,**

 **So this chapter has been annoying the crap out of me. Because I wrote the similar chapter for "The First' ...first... it's made writing it a second time harder because I really didn't want them to be too similar.**

 **I still don't love it though, but I just needed to get it done or it would annoy the crap out of me forever.**

 **Apologies as well, this is quite a long chapter because of it...sigh...**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 25**

The sun was high in the sky as Vielka crouched low in the over grown grasslands behind the The Great Mound. There was at least two hundred metres to the back entrance of the lab situated atop the mound, and she had to make sure she got Shuri, Nakia and Everett there safely. She had discussed a plan with T'challa, and now, they were just waiting on his signal.

"When we are in the lab, Everett will stay behind to pilot the jet," Shuri whispered as she crouched beside Nakia.

"Me? But I don't -" Everett began to argue.

"You're a pilot. You'll manage," Vielka cut him off curtly. She glanced sideways at him, noting he pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded once. She looked back to the landing bay of the mine. W'Kabi's men were loading hundreds of crates into several different aircraft. "And I hope you live up to the hype in your file, Ross."

"You've read my file?" he nearly exclaimed, causing her to whip her head around and glare at him. He covered his mouth quickly, before averting his gaze.

There was an explosion over the hill, and they watched as a jet that had just taken off, caught alight and crashed to the ground. Through the smoke and flames, T'challa appeared, climbing of the crashed fuselage.

"Get ready," Vielka hissed, beginning to move further along the grassy plains, so that they had the shortest distance to cover while exposed. The landing bay that was filled with troops, seemed to become a hive of tense activity as T'challa began walking up the hill, several Border Tribesman running down the hill following behind W'Kabi.

"Now, Shuri," T'challa's voice whispered through their commlinks.

"Go!" Vielka hissed, urging them forward. She let them run before her, following up the rear while Nakia led them to the back door. Shuri was quick to enter the pin and open the door, hurrying through, the agent and Nakia quickly following her. Vielka was last in, shutting the door quietly behind her.

Inside, they found some spare Border Tribe capes, putting them on and wrapping it around their heads and concealing their faces, as if they were heading to battle outside. They hurried down the halls in single file, Vielka leading them, careful to behave deliberately and without hesitation. She nodded towards two Tribesman as they hurried by, both returning the nod in kind and continuing on their way. They turned right and hurried into Shuri's lab, removing the capes when they were sure the coast was clear. Shuri set to work immediately, hurrying through the lab, raising a sand table from the floor that opened to reveal weapons and a Dora armour. "Here, Nakia, put this on."

"I am not a Dora," Nakia retorted huffily, grabbing the two metal rings beside the armour instead.

"Just put it on," both Vielka and Shuri said in unison, as Vielka moved to check no one was coming down the stairs through the main entrance. Shuri continued to hurry throughout the lab, grabbing a remote access Kimoyo bead, and syncing it to her sand table and personal beads. She then moved to a wall, activating a capsule that lit up and opened.

Vielka was moving to check the hallway they had just used, when she noticed the contents of the capsule. "Is that...?"

"It's a prototype, not yet tested though. I meant to discuss it with you after you got back from Busan, but so much happened," Shuri explained, opening the front of the capsule.

It looked identical to her previous armour, except it now had a full helmet, the visor across the eyes reflecting the light of the lab.

"I figured if there ever came a time that you had to come up against someone who had Vibranium weapon's, it might pay to make sure you're completely protected," Shuri explained, touching the armour at the wrists and causing it to completely disassemble into a single bracelet.

"Well, I guess now is as good as any time to test it," she replied, putting her hand out for Shuri to slide the bracelet onto her wrist.

Shuri grimaced slightly. "But, uh... also... I may have put some new technology into it..." Before Vielka could pull her hand away, Shuri slid the bracelet onto Vielka's arm and the bracelet seemed to shrink to fit to her wrist.

Vielka furrowed her brow, as Shuri synced the bracelet to Vielka's neural device, feeling a strange tingle in her wrist that seemed to spread further throughout her body, very slowly. "Shuri..."

"It's okay, put it on, I'll explain as we go." Vielka was wary but did as the teen told her to, thinking the command to activate the armour. It began to spread over her body, cutting through the fatigues she was wearing so the fabric shredded apart and fell to the floor.

As the armour spread over her body, she felt the tingling increasing throughout her body, from her fingers, to her toes and up to her neck, as the armour began to form the helmet over her head. The helmet encased her head, although when she moved her head, it seemed her high ponytail was still freely swinging. She looked at her hands, the black armour encasing them appearing matte, though the bright lights of the labs shone down on them. She wiggled her fingers; the armour was manoeuvrable and light, yet quite thick. She noted the visor across her eyes seemed thick, yet she could see everything with superb clarity.

"Now, I'm activating the system," Shuri murmured, her voice holding a note of anxiousness, as she activated her Kimoyo beads before interacting with a projected screen.

Suddenly, the entirety of Vielka's body seemed to come alive, every nerve activating, as numbers and symbols began appearing before her eyes. She flinched and tried to step back, backing into a table. "Shuri!"

"Wait! Give it a moment! It should only hurt on the initial entry!" Shuri exclaimed, continuing to interact with the holographic screen as Nakia hurried over to see what was happening.

"Initial entry?" Vielka exclaimed incredulously as she cringed, the numbers and symbols continuing to appear before her eyes, even when she closed them. The fire burning through her body began to subside slowly, but her head was starting to ache.

"Shuri, I'm not sure it's a good idea to mess with her right now," Everett began to reason as he looked like he wanted to try and support her. Vielka was bending over panting as she tried to control the pain.

"I wouldn't have done this if I didn't have any other choice. I don't know what happened to her other armour bracelets, this is all I have currently," Shuri replied ruefully, before looking resolutely at Vielka. "And I think, considering the circumstances, we are going to need the extra help this suit will provide."

Finally, all the pain ceased and Vielka collapsed to the floor on her hands and knees, panting. Her body felt strangely light, although she strangely didn't feel like she was in control currently. She raised her head, the movement quick and sharp. She took a deep breath to calm herself, wondering what her heart rate was currently doing, and her HUD activated, showing her bpm as well as her blood pressure. "Whoa..."

"The armour has integrated with your Vibranium enhanced skin and is now like a second skin. It will enhance your abilities further, plus, it is not susceptible to Vibranium unlike your skin," Shuri began to explain, moving around Vielka and scanning her with an application on her Kimoyo beads.

"This is going to take some getting used to..." Vielka muttered dubiously, going to move her arm, only for it to shoot up a lot faster than she expected and put her off balance. She stood up slowly, using the nearby work bench for support. The metal bent under her hand strength. "Whoops." She sighed, before a thought occurred to her. She reached back to feel for her swords, to find they were both still on her back. The armour had formed around them.

"We haven't got time for you to become accustomed to your armour, Vielka," Nakia muttered apologetically, having changed into the Dora armour as instructed. "We must go help T'challa, and stop the weapons from leaving Wakanda."

Vielka sighed, becoming focused. "Let's go."

"Good luck, Agent Ross!" Shuri said as she slipped a Kimoyo brad bracelet over his hand and onto his wrist, before the three women moved to depart.

"Yeah, I don't know what I'm doing with this," he murmured, trying to argue.

"We're counting on you!" Nakia shouted back, as they disappeared up the stair case, sprinting through the corridors.

 **oOOo**

Nakia, Shuri and Vielka left Everett behind in the lab and headed to the upper levels to access an aircraft that was waiting on the landing bay.

"I'm going to go straight out and stop Killmonger. You two, get the Royal Talon in the air. Everett, don't mess this up," Vielka ordered through comms.

"No pressure or anything," Everett murmured, making Vielka smirk. She had to admit, she quite liked bossing around the little CIA agent.

"Ready?" Shuri asked, looking between the two women she stood between. Vielka drew her swords from her back, nodding once, while Nakia activated the Vibranium powered ring blades. Shuri activated the sliding door, before shooting her blasters at two Border Tribesmen guarding just outside the door, knocking them away easily.

"Go! go!" Vielka ordered, making a break and jumping over the edge of the gangway they were on, landing a level down between the Dora Milaje and Killmonger as they were fighting. Killmonger looked her up and down, as Vielka scanned his armour with her new enhanced system. She recognised it as the gaudier suit Shuri had shown them before their Busan mission. "Erik." She took stock of the golden lines that were lit up around the suit. It's kinetic energy blast was half way charged.

She glanced over her shoulder at Okoye, who gave the slightest of nods, her gaze shifting from Vielka back to Killmonger.

"I'll take you all!" Killmonger growled, holding his weapons up ready. Vielka readied herself as Killmonhger launched himself at her. She blocked his first strike and then parried his second, before kicking back at him easily, her movements fluid and quick, albeit she struggled with how quick her reactions now were, occasionally losing her balance and having to roll out of Killmonger's way.

She rolled back to her feet, before turning to attack him. He jumped backward, trying to avoid her as she slashed across him with her right sword, before trying to slash upwards with her left, only narrowly missing him.

The Dora Milaje rushed forward then, trying to surround him, with Okoye moving to stand beside Vielka. Three of the Dora ran at Killmonger, gaining his attention as he tried to defend against them, before Okoye ran forwards to try and capitalise. He tried to counter but they locked their spears around his neck.

" _Lock!"_ Okoye shouted, all the Dora activating an electrical current through their spears, causing Killmonger to writhe in pain and groan. _"Get him down!"_ They forced Killmonger to his knees as Vielka walked forward, sheathing one sword. _"Banzai, the necklace!"_

Vielka reached down with her free hand to grab at the necklace, but noticed the golden glow detailing along the familiar lines of the suit was more vibrant than before. "Watch out!" she shouted, moving to push the closest Dora away, which just happened to be Okoye.

She was too late, as Killmonger activated the kinetic blast from his suit, sending every one of them flying backwards away from him. Vielka flipped mid air and managed to land at a crouch, skidding to a stop. She looked back up to Killmonger to see him stand and face her.

She glanced sideways to see Okoye and the Dora struggling back to their feet. _"Help T'challa, I will take care of N'Jadaka."_ Okoye didn't need to be told twice, motioning to her Dora to follow her towards their king.

Killmonger stood again, facing Vielka as she drew her second sword again. "Any time you're ready, Erik."

"Don't call me that," Killmonger spat. "You don't have the right!" He lunged at her, claws drawn as he slashed at her repeatedly, but Vielka easily dodged his strikes, knowing that he was so enraged currently that he wouldn't be able think straight, let alone fight well. She was beginning to get used to the suits integration with her body, her movements much more confident as she ducked and weaved.

However, she didn't count on Nakia and Shuri charging in at that moment. Nakia threw her blade at Killmonger, which he leapt over, Nakia sliding along the ground beneath him. Vielka was quick to attack, to keep Killmongers attention on her, slashing at him with her swords. Nakia turned and also attacked, throwing her rings at him, while running forward, catching her ring blades as h deflected them and they returned to her before trying to hack at him, managing to disarm him of the spear he had picked up. She leapt high into the air to bring down her rings atop him, but he easily caught her, throwing her to the ground roughly.

Vielka intervened, spinning her swords expertly, her newly enhanced speed making them seem a blur, but Killmonger parried her attacks, before slashing at her himself and making her leap backwards to avoid his claws. Nakia aimed a well placed kick from her position on the ground and knocked him backwards, giving her an opportunity to return to her feet and move to stand beside Vielka with her weapons at the ready.

"I'll go high," Vielka muttered through their commlink. Nakia gave the slightest of nods in reply. Both ran forward, Vielka streaking ahead of Nakia and launching herself in the air.

She brought both her swords down, but Killmonger easily blocked them both, as Nakia threw her rings at him. He threw Vielka backwards, before knocking the rings back towards Nakia. The little Wakandan caught them again, before sliding in to attack Killmonger. He blocked her attacks, catching one of her hands as she poised to strike him, moving to reach down towards her thigh with his claws drawn. Vielka was quick to intervene, blocking his hand with one of her blades and drawing his attention to her, before kicking out and knocking him backwards, forcing Killmonger to release Nakia's wrist. Both Vielka and Nakia moved forward to attack him again. Killmonger ducked and weaved from their attacks, before he leaned forward, launching a counter attack on Nakia.

He caught her arm, before kicking her backwards, causing her to crash into Vielka and forcing them into a crumpled heap on the ground. Vielka recovered first, noticing Killmonger making his way towards the pair hastily, his claws raised and glistening in the Wakandan sun. She was quick to shove a groaning Nakia off of her, bringing a sword up to fend off Killmonger from injuring the smaller Wakandan woman.

"Get out of the way," Vielka hissed to her, before flinging her sword upwards to knock Killmongers claws away again.

She struck out with a leg, connecting with Killmonger's chest, but only managing to force him back a step, before he was lunging towards her again. She began fending off his attacks, the sound of his claws clashing with her swords and armour reverberating around the landing bay.

Nakia was still struggling to her feet and moved to help Vielka. "No! Get out and help Okoye!" Vielka ordered through her commlink, as she ducked another swinging arm of Killmonger. "You're no use here, Nakia. He's too strong for you!"

"But..."

"Don't argue! Stop the Border Tribe! Help Okoye and get T'challa up here!" she ordered, turning her head slightly to look at the little Wakandan. "He must complete the challenge!"

Nakia pressed her lips into a thin line and looked annoyed, but nodded once before turning and running towards the Dora Milaje. Vielka felt relieved, but the distraction was enough for Killmonger to gain the upper hand.

He grabbed her by her pony tail, reefing her head back roughly. "I'm not finished with you, yet," he growled, raising a clawed hand in the air.

Vielka raised her sword, slicing through her own pony tail and leaving Killmonger with a handful of her hair as she spun around, before jumping up and kicking out at him with both feet. He was thrown backwards as she landed and rolled onto the ground, quickly getting back to her feet. Even with her enhancements, Killmonger was proving difficult. She was going to need to break through that armour somehow.

Killmonger only took a moment to recover, scrambling back to his feet and running towards her again. He raised his right arm to slash at her again, and she tried to block it with her sword, but she miscalculated her counter and his claws sliced through the blade easily. He struck out at her again, his claws slashing across her armour and causing sparks to fly, before knocking the remnants of her blade from her hand. She raised her arm to fend off another strike from him, but he feigned a kick to throw her off, aiming an elbow right into her throat.

She was thrown back, falling to the ground as she tried to gather her breath back. "What's up, Banzai? Getting slow in your old age," Killmonger mocked, beginning to walk towards her. She coughed, trying to recover quickly, struggling to get to her feet.

"Hey!" came a shout from behind her. Killmonger and Vielka both looked towards the voice, only for a Vibranium blast to hit Killmonger square in the chest. It had barely an effect on him, only forcing him to take half a step backwards.

"Sh-Shuri..." Vielka tried to warn her off, but hadn't recovered her breath yet.

Killmonger started making his way towards Shuri, and Vielka continued to struggle to her feet, trying to make it to the teen before she found herself in trouble. Shuri fired another blast at Killmonger, followed by another. Each blast barely slowed him down.

"Shuri! Get out of there!" Vielka croaked, finally getting enough breath back to shout towards Shuri and scrambled to her feet. She stumbled towards the pair, as Shuri activated the sonic destabiliser on her blasters, holding Killmonger in place and warping his armour.

Vielka pulled her leftover sword from its sheath at her back, sprinting towards Shuri. As she sprinted, Killmonger reached Shuri, grabbing hold of her right hand blaster and stopping the destabiliser, but she continued trying to shoot him with her remaining blaster, although it had little to no effect. He crushed the blaster in his hand easily, before forcing Shuri to the ground.

"What's up, princess?" Killmonger sneered malevolently as he stood over her.

"You'll never be a true king," Shuri challenged, not backing down from Killmonger as he glared down at her. As Killmonger reached down for her throat, Vielka charged, first throwing her remaining sword at him to gain his attention. He turned to face her when her sword struck him harmlessly, falling away to the side with a clang, taking his attention away from Shuri as she had hoped it would.

The teen took the opportunity to scramble away from Killmonger as he moved to take on Vielka, but turned and fired her remaining blaster at his back.

The blast caused him to stumble slightly, and Vielka took the opportunity to launch herself at him, driving her knee forward and connecting with Killmonger's chest. He only took a step back from the force, but Vielka was quick to capitalise. She landed from her attack, grabbing Killmonger about the head before dropping to her knees and flinging him over her shoulder.

He landed on his back, and she moved to punch at his head, but he rolled out of the way, flipping to his feet quickly. Vielka ground her teeth as she looked back up at him, standing and glaring at him.

Killmonger was quick to lunge at her again, but Vielka dodged his attack deftly, stepping back and avoiding his claws by millimetres. He continued slashing at Vielka, creating sparks as his claws clashed with her armour.

She raised her arm, blocking one punch, but there was so much force behind it that it broke through and he was quick to capitalise, punching at her again. His punch connected with her ribs and winded her slightly. She hunched over and Killmonger grabbed her about the throat, forcing her face upwards.

"You're on the wrong side again, Banzai," he sneered, beginning to squeeze her throat.

"Not how I ...see it," she gasped, her airways being crushed under his strong grasp. She glanced around, noting that they were near the edge of the landing bay, the Vibranium mine stretching down to her left.

"Vielka! Your suit!" Shuri shouted. Vielka was confused for a moment, before she remembered the kinetic energy blast that was built into the suit. She was quick to grab Killmonger's wrist with both hands, to ensure he wouldn't try and get away, before she activated the blast.

 **oOOo**

The energy blast knocked Killmonger away, causing him to sprawl further along the landing bay, while Vielka collapsed to the ground, trying to regain her breath. The muscles along her neck ached from the crushing pressure of his grasp, but she was quick to try and push it aside. She stood up again, looking to Shuri who was running towards her.

"I can't get past his armour. It's a stalemate," she murmured into her commlink, looking back at Killmonger as he returned to his feet, turning to look at her.

"We have to do something!" Shuri gasped breathlessly as she slid to a stop beside Vielka.

"Oh, I'll do something," Killmonger shouted malevolently, making his way towards them. Vielka was quick to shove the teenager backwards before moving to meet Killmonger's attack. She blocked his punch, and his following kick, catching his leg in a hand before spinning and connecting with his head with her elbow. He stumbled backwards slightly, and Shuri fired a blast at him again.

Vielka ran forward, grabbing Killmonger around his torso, pinning his arms to his side. "Shuri, get out of here now," she ordered through gritted teeth, as Killmonger tried to strain against her hold.

"But..."

"Don't argue, damn it!" Shuri looked torn between running and helping Vielka, but finally turned to run.

"I don't think so!" Killmonger sneered, throwing his head back so it connected with Vielka's. She was dazed for a moment as she felt the jarring pain of the sudden impact to her helmet, although no damage came from it. The blow was enough to loosen her grip on him and he threw his arms into the air and managing to free himself, before spinning and kicking her hard.

She stumbled backwards, but regained her composure quickly as Killmonger started running after Shuri. "No!" she shouted, sprinting for Killmonger. She felt a strange electricity coursing through her veins, and everything appeared a blur to her as she launched at Killmonger. She flew through the air, tackling Killmonger easily, bringing him crashing down to the ground. She rolled over him, but maintained her hold on his arm, landing on her feet and twisting at his arm.

The feeling of electricity coursing through her body intensified, giving her a headache but she tried to ignore it, pulling roughly on Killmonger's arm until he grunted from the pain. He shifted his body slightly, forcing her to step forwards to maintain her grip, but she pulled back slightly.

Unexpectedly, Killmonger was able to spin his body around, his legs connecting with her and felling her. She tried to stop her fall, but he pushed his body up, kicking up at her again and knocking her backwards, causing a sharp, familiar pain in her chest. Her rib had broken again, but she suspected it was joined by another two from the pain. She sprawled onto her back, landing dangerously close to the edge of the landing bay, the air rushing up from the mine below and blowing the remnants of her pony tail up. Killmonger lunged at her, landing astride her and tried to bring his claws down, but she managed to catch both his hands in hers, holding his claws away from her.

"You think you're stronger than me?" he demanded, pushing down with all the strength in his arms. The pain in her ribs intensified as she tried to hold him off her. Even with her vibranium skin and armour, he could easily break her neck utilising the overhang of the landing bay. "I'm going to enjoy this."

His hands started moving closer to her neck, and she tried to kick him off of her, but he had her legs pinned with his own. She tried to thrust upwards, causing more pain to shoot through her body but he was stronger and heavier than her. His hands reached down, grasping around her throat and squeezing. She tried to pull them away, but his grip tightened.

"T'Challa, Vielka needs help!" she heard someone shout over the commlink, but couldn't see past Killmonger. She tried to punch at Killmonger, aiming at his ribs, but her own strength was severely hindered by her ribs. She winced as the pain shot through her chest, mingling with the pain of her neck being crushed.

She grabbed at his arms again, glaring up at Killmonger. "You...really...are...weak..." she gasped, challenging him, with the hope that he might fly into a rage and release one hand to punch her. Instead, he squeezed harder, Vielka feeling a strange popping sensation in her neck as it began to crack.

"I'm going to kill you, I'm going to kill Shuri, and I'm going to make T'Challa's the slowest and most painful of all!" he growled. Her vision began to cloud as her airways were slowly being cut, but she refused to let him beat her like this, and there was no way she was going to let him hurt the closest thing to a family she had left.

She dug her nails in, clinging to his armour and glared up at him. Suddenly, she felt like her body was on fire, and it intensified at her hands. She glared up at him; feeling like an inferno was burning in her hands. Killmonger tried to pull away suddenly, shouting in pain, but Vielka didn't let go. A blue electric current shot from her hands and into him, causing him to writhe in pain.

While she herself was in excruciating pain and she didn't quite understand what was happening to her, she didn't release him, gritting her teeth and pushing through the pain, maintaining her hold on the American.

"Vielka!" Shuri exclaimed through the commlink. "What on earth?" Vielka didn't take her eyes off of Killmonger, still being electrocuted in her grasp.

"Vielka!" she heard T'Challa exclaim, as Killmonger tried to reef his arms from Vielka's grasp, managing to pull one arm from her weakened hold, pain shooting through as he pulled himself free of her hold. He began punching at her, the blows connecting with her head, but she didn't release her other arm. Instead, she grit her teeth, pushing through the pain as it intensified. Killmonger began to scream in agony as the electricity increased, his Panther Armour beginning to warp and destabilise.

"If I'm going down, you're coming with me," Vielka breathed, before she forced herself backwards. They began to tumble back into the mine, Vielka only barely aware of a black blur appearing above her and removing Killmonger's weight from her.

* * *

 **Hopefully my next chapter comes a bit more freely than this one did...sigh**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	26. Chapter 26

**Hey guys,**

 **So sorry, its been so long between chapters. I've been so flat out, and got a bit stuck with this particular chapter. Finally knocked it over, and now, I need to work on the other story...sigh.**

 **Thanks to everyone who has been waiting patiently for this update, and sorry again.**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 26**

Shuri sprinted to the edge of the landing bay, fearing the worst. Not only had she watched her brother launch himself at Killmonger, falling over the edge into the mine with him, but in an effort to try and take out Killmonger, Vielka had also fallen over.

She slid to her knees and looked down over the edge of the landing bay, her breath hitched as she feared the worst.

Far below, she saw her brother and Killmonger had landed on the train tracks that made their way all around the mine, continuing to fight it out without hesitation, not even appearing affected by the great fall from above.

She felt her anxiety rise when she didn't see Vielka anywhere near them. She scanned all around the edge of the mine, trying to spot the female super soldier.

"Vielka!" Shuri shouted down, hoping that Bast's blessings were on their side. "Come on, you're indestructible..." she murmured aloud.

"That doesn't mean that shit doesn't hurt..." someone muttered from below where she was kneeling. Shuri leaned further forward and looked down in bewilderment, to see that Vielka was clinging to the side of the mine with one arm.

The super soldier deactivated her helmet, looking up at Shuri with a pained expression. "Vielka! You're alright!"

"If you want to stretch the truth, then yes, I guess you could say that," she replied, cringing as she seemed to try and move her spare arm. She glanced down over her shoulder, Shuri looked past her to see her brother and Killmonger still fighting, both evenly matched in skill and strength.

"Come on, we need to get you up here," Shuri said urgently, worried that the small ridge of stone Vielka was clinging to could give way at any time.

"On the contrary, I think T'challa could use some help," Vielka replied, turning her body slightly, looking down along the wall of the mine.

Before Shuri could even argue how dangerous it could be, T'challa interjected. "Help the others, Banzai. Shuri, turn on the train on the bottom track."

Shuri furrowed her brow immediately, staring down towards her brother in disbelief. If he was closer, she might hit him over the head for suggesting such a ridiculous idea. "But the stabilisers will deactivate your suit. You won't have protection!" Shuri objected incredulously.

"Neither will he," T'challa replied without hesitation, as they watched him dodge another attack from Killmonger by mere millimetres.

Shuri raised her eyebrows in realisation, before reaching for her Kimoyo beads and activating the train. "Okay!" It beeped in response and she watched as the train activated, the stabilisers lighting up as the train made its way around the track. She watched as her brother jumped out of the way, as did Killmonger, both their suits visibly warping as they were struck by the stabilisers sonic waves.

Watching her brother battling with the American black operative made her anxious, but she also had faith that her brother would beat him. He had to, for all their sakes and the sake of the world.

"It would have been so much easier going down, rather than up," Vielka grunted, gaining Shuri's attention again. The super soldier was now trying to pull herself back up the wall, but whenever she tried to lift her left arm, she was cringing.

"I'll help you," Shuri said trying to reach down for her. Vielka had to be a good ten metres down the mine wall, but Shuri hoped that the super soldier could at least make the climb part of the way up before whatever injury she had sustained, took its toll on her.

"It's okay, I'll find a way up, but you should check on the others," Vielka said as she very slowly began to climb back to the top, using her right arm to reach and her left to try and hold her steady on each reach.

Shuri bit her lip contemplatively, watching the super soldier's agonisingly slow assent. She glanced over her shoulder to the Dora Milaje and Nakia. They were struggling to subdue the numerous Border Tribe army, being severely outnumbered.

Shuri looked back down. "I'll be back as soon as I can to help you." She got to her feet, running towards Nakia, picking up a spear along the way. She leapt up into the air, before bringing the spear down hard on the back of a Border Tribesman, who had thought to attack Nakia from behind. The Border Tribesman turned to face Shuri, but she was quick to spin the spear, knocking his weapon from his grasp and then his feet from underneath him.

He landed with a thud on the ground, Nakia turning to look at Shuri with raised eyebrows. "Hey, how are you doing?" Shuri asked, moving to stand defensively beside Nakia.

"I'm okay," Nakia responded breathlessly. They had been fighting for close to an hour now, it wasn't surprising that the War Dog would be exhausted. While she was well trained to fight, she was a spy; long battles were not what she was used to. "We need to help Okoye, stick close to me."

They began fighting their way towards the General and her Dora.

"Shuri, are you okay?" Okoye demanded, knocking away a Border Tribesman easily and turning her attention to the teen.

"Yes, General, I'm fine." Shuri used the spear she held to fight off a Border Tribesman who tried to knock her down, Nakia kicking him away before he could overpower the Wakandan princess.

"Where is Vielka?" Okoye demanded, blocking another Border Tribesman's spear, punching him in the face and then using her own spear to swipe his feet out from underneath him.

"She's trying to make her way back out of The Great Mound," Shuri answered, ducking a swinging spear and counter attacking to knock out her attacker.

"She could move faster," Nakia hissed through gritted teeth as she continued to defend herself.

"I can hear you!" Shuri couldn't help but smirk at the banter between her comrades, however, her amusement was soon soured when they found themselves surrounded by Border Tribesman sporting holoshields.

The women backed towards each other, eyeing off the Border Tribesman as W'Kabi rode up on his battle rhino, peering down at them grimly.

Shuri saw him glance at Okoye, and for a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of sadness appear in his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. "You have three seconds to lay down your weapons!" W'Kabi shouted. "Three...two..."

Shuri looked at the men surrounding them, trying to find a weak point in the shield walls, perhaps a malfunctioning shield cloak. But it was the sudden barking from over the ridge that caught her attention, as it did everyone else's.

W'Kabi and the Border Tribesman looked around in confusion, someone grabbed a Border Tribesman by the scruff of his shirt, hoisting him high above his head and standing upon a boulder. He bellowed loudly as several more men appeared behind him, barking like gorillas as they glared at the Border Tribe.

"Witness the might of the J'Abari!" M'Baku bellowed, grinning excitedly. Shuri couldn't help but grin back at the J'Abari leader as his men ran forward to attack the Border Tribe.

"Shot out, shot over!" Came a familiar shout from behind Shuri, causing her, Nakia, Okoye and the trapped Dora to turn in surprise. Vielka dove through the air, landing in a heavy crouch amidst the Border Tribe who surrounded them, her suit emitting its kinetic blast and throwing the Border Tribe afar.

 **oOOo**

"It's about time!" Nakia yelled as the shield wall around them began to fall apart and she forced her way past a Border Tribesman, knocking him down as she went.

"Hey, how about I throw you down the mine and let you climb your way out," Vielka retorted, defending herself against the Border Tribe as they began to attack her again. She felt a twinge of pain shoot through her left shoulder, gritting her teeth and pushing through the pain as she rolled out of the way of a spear swiping down towards her.

Nakia had no time to retort as she hurriedly leapt out of the way of a charging war rhino. Vielka stood to face it as it charged towards her. She stepped aside and caught it by the horn with her right hand, being ripped from her feet as it charged on.

"Whose bright idea was... giant war rhinos, anyway?" she growled through clenched teeth as she tried off balance it by throwing her weight around.

Eventually giving up on trying to off balance the beast, Vielka threw herself upon the back of the beast, trying to steer it, instead of fighting against it, but there were too many Dora Milaje and J'Abari in her path as they fought against the Border Tribe. She calculated the distance and speed of the beast, as well as how best to stop it. She grit her teeth and groaned. "This is going to hurt..."

She carefully stood up on the saddle of the rhino, keeping her balance as it charged through the fighting Wakandans, before leaping forward, aiming at the rhino's horn. She caught it with both hands, before flinging her body weight down, causing the rhino's muzzle to fall forward, digging into the ground.

The rhino began to tip over, the sudden decrease in momentum of its head forcing it to tip back over head, crashing down with a sickening thud. Vielka leapt from its back before she could be crushed, rolling roughly along the ground, pain shooting through her left shoulder again.

"My god, I'm getting too old for this shit," she groaned, as she began struggling to push herself up to her hands and knees.

M'Baku appeared before her, easily hoisting her to her feet by her right arm. "Vielka! It is a fine day for battle!"

"Well, it's about time you joined us, M'Baku," Vielka replied, brushing herself down and deactivating her helmet, so that the J'Abari leader could look her in the face.

M'Baku frowned, analysing her face momentarily, narrowing his eyes. Suddenly, his eyes went wide and he glared at her. "You knew all along that I would join you and T'challa in battle, didn't you?" She shrugged and feigned an innocent look, before smirking slightly and reactivating her helmet, diving back into the fight to avoid discussion with the J'Abari leader. "This discussion is not over!" he shouted after her.

She sprinted through the throngs of warring Wakandans, knocking down Border Tribesmen, while avoiding their strikes, or defending Dora and J'Abari. Every movement she made was fluid and fast as she adapted to her suit, not a single move wasted. Her shoulder, although still injured, soon became numb and she could no longer feel it. All her attention was on her task at hand, and she paid no heed to the throbbing pain from her movements.

She soon found herself garnering the attention of several of the Border Tribe, surrounded by them as she straightening from disarming and subduing one of their weaker number.

The men surrounding her were clearly the strongest of the Border Tribe, the ritual scarring on their faces depicting the many honours bestowed upon them. And if that wasn't telling enough of their toughness, most stood taller and wider than her too.

She looked around at them, calculating what moves she would need utilise to make her escape, noting every weapon each carried, but also any injuries they may have gained from battle already. As she thought about it, her helmet display highlighted each strength and witness of her assailants for her, surprising her, momentarily. "What the hell..."

Before she could put into action any plan she had formulated, or figure out how to adapt to her newfound technology, there was a shout from above as M'Baku leaped into the circle beside her, swinging his club. He missed hitting any of her assailants as he landed in a crouched position, but they were certainly hesitant to attack when they saw him.

He stood up from his crouch, glaring warningly to each of the Border Tribe, as he swung his club about.

"Vielka, you seem to require some assistance," he said, not taking his eyes off the surrounding men.

"Hardly," she scoffed, rolling her eyes inside her helmet. She began to decipher the helmet displays technology, sizing up the men around her.

"Allow me."

"I really don't think that's..." before she could finish, M'Baku had lunged at the largest of the Border Tribesman, which in turn encouraged the others to attack them. Vielka was quick to defend herself, ducking and weaving as they lunged at her with scimitar, clubs and spears.

She fought back to back with M'Baku, always ensuring he was behind her, so he could cover her back and she his.

"Aha! Now this, is what I call fun!" M'Baku bellowed as he belted back another Border Tribesman.

"Now we know why you're not invited parties," Vielka said with a grunt, as she blocked a sword strike with her armoured right forearm, before she struck her boot into her assailant's mid section, sending him flying backwards.

They had finally managed to free themselves of attackers, when they heard an almighty roar and stamping of heavy feet. Vielka and M'Baku turned to see a charging rhino, W'Kabi on its back. It was running straight towards them.

"Oh, shit."

"Hhaaa!" M'Baku growled, preparing to face the charging rhino.

"Are you insane?" Vielka exclaimed incredulously, moving to grab the J'Abari leader and pull him out of the way as the rhino was barely fifty metres away. She had not even managed to shift the gorilla of a man an inch, when Okoye appeared between them and the rhino, much to Vielka's horror. "Wha-!"

A flash of recognition passed through the charging rhino's eyes and it began to skid stop, but Vielka began to move to grab Okoye, not confident the rhino would stop in time. Okoye was resolute, ignoring Vielka's hand as it fell on her shoulder and standing fiercely in place.

The rhino stopped with barely inches to spare, and much to both M'Baku and Vielka's surprise, as well as Vielka's mild disgust, the rhino licked Okoye sloppily on the cheek.

"Well, you don't see that every day," Vielka muttered, as M'Baku grinned before turning and running off to find another fight.

W'Kabi eyed Vielka as she moved to stand beside the Dora Milaje General, deactivating her helmet and narrowing her eyes at the Border Tribe leader.

He dismounted his rhino, looking solemnly at Okoye. Vielka made to move towards W'Kabi, but Okoye held out a hand to stop her. Vielka furrowed her brow and looked at Okoye in annoyance, but the General didn't take her eyes off of W'Kabi.

"Drop your weapon!"

W'Kabi sighed mockingly, a small smirk appearing on his face. "Would you kill me, my love?"

Okoye looked severely back at the Border Tribe leader. "For Wakanda?" She quickly raised her spear, pointing its tip at W'Kabi, earning an impressed sidelong look from Vielka. "Without question."

W'Kabi seemed taken aback by Okoye's declaration, before looking around the battlefield. His men, those that were still standing, were being beaten by J'Abari and Dora alike. Even Shuri, the technological genius teen, was holding her own against his men.

W'Kabi looked back at Vielka, who stared at him, expressionless as she read his face. He was discouraged and possibly ashamed. He had turned his back on Wakandan values, on the woman he loved, he surely knew the consequences of his actions and it was clear to see the regret on his face.

W'Kabi dropped his weapon, his men following suit quickly, dropping to their knees in defeat.

* * *

 **It's done, it's finally done! This chapter has been haunting me for months!**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys,**

 **Sorry for the delay, but I've got two new chapters ready to go.**

 **Thanks to everyone that has followed/reviewed. You guys are all awesome.**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 27**

Vielka walked through the UN building alongside the Dora Milaje, with T'Challa and Nakia following closely behind. She was well aware that all eyes followed them as they hurried through on their way out to their waiting vehicles that would return them to their temporary accommodation before their return to Wakanda. It was no surprise, really, with T'Challa's bold statements about Wakanda's true identity and not the one that they had been hiding behind for centuries.

She was aware of Nakia, T'Challa and Okoye conversing behind her, but was more concerned about her surrounds than the conversation. "And what are your thoughts, Vielka?" T'Challa asked.

She turned her head slightly, only glancing over her shoulder for a few seconds to meet T'Challa's gaze. "About what?" She heard Okoye grumble and Nakia try and stifle a giggle, while T'Challa looked exasperated as Vielka turned her attention back to the front.

"About my announcement," T'Challa replied indignantly, as UN officers opened the doors for them to exit the building. She shrugged in response.

"My King, I thought you would have learnt by now that Vielka does not generally have a voice when it comes to our politics," Okoye spoke up on her behalf.

"That's not true," Vielka replied as she moved to open the car door. "I don't care unless it involves me punching somebody…"

The four other Dora that travelled with them stifled their laughter as best they could, while Nakia grinned at Vielka and Okoye groaned in exasperation. T'Challa stopped in front of her as she held the door open for him, considering her carefully with a thoughtful expression on his face. She looked back at him with an expressionless face, waiting to hear what her friend had to say.

He grinned wide, his white teeth contrasting against his face as he laughed heartily. "Of course, and your opinion always puts things into perspective for me, my friend." He patted her shoulder, before getting into the car, Nakia quick to follow with a warm smile for the Australian too.

 **oOOo**

They returned to Wakanda, which was bustling with the excitement of the city finally being unveiled to the rest of the world. Naturally, there were those that were completely against the idea, and it was those that Vielka was particularly wary of when T'Challa was out and about.

Shuri and Nakia were being put in charge of an establishment in Los Angeles, so she didn't get to see much of them anymore. A lot of her time was spent training with the Dora Milaje, of which Okoye seemed particularly keen to have Vielka handle a lot of the instructing. Vielka didn't complain, though. She tried her hardest to keep herself busy, lest her mind wander to other things which she didn't really want to think about.

She hadn't heard from any of her other counterparts in a very long time. Steve had stopped checking in once T'Challa had decided to announce Wakanda's true identity, so as to prevent any questions being asked about their whereabouts for the last year or so. And she didn't ever ask Shuri or T'Challa about Bucky, she actually went out of her way to avoid even thinking about him. It still hurt to think about what he had done, keeping his plans a secret from her, and then putting her in a situation she would much rather have not been in.

She was comfortable though, the Dora Milaje were treating her as if she was one of them, even going so far to treat her as one of their superiors, thanks to Okoye's encouragement. After their fight against Killmonger's rule, they had come to accept that she was indeed the protector of the Black Panther and their King, but more than that, they considered her one of them. However, even with this acceptance, Vielka couldn't help but feel like something was missing.

Vielka sat at one of the workbenches in Shuri's lab, listening to the teen talk excitedly about her and Nakia's latest project, courtesy of T'Challa. The Wakandan teen was back home on a visit, and to update her brother on their progress in the US.

"You have to visit me there, Vielka!" Shuri gushed as she showed the Australian photos on one of her projector screens in the lab.

"Hard pass, thanks," Vielka was quick to respond in a bored tone. "I'm fine here."

Shuri pouted slightly and looked like she was about to respond when an alarm sounded on her Kimoyo beads around her wrist. She brought the beads up to look at them, a confused look on her face before activating the chiming bead. A screen appeared, with what appeared to be a news channel. "Oh my god…"

Vielka looked at the teen with a slightly bored expression from across the workbench, unable to make out what Shuri was looking at. "What is it?"

Shuri responded by flicking the viewfinder onto the main screen of the lab. The sounds of screams and explosions resonated throughout the lab, raising Vielka's attention and causing her alarm. She stared at the screen as she watched an alien spaceship cruise above the city of New York. The news banner scrolled with updates continually.

" **ALIENS ATTACK NEW YORK CITY AGAIN… WHERE ARE THE AVENGERS? EARTH UNDER ATTACK FROM ALIENS…"**

"What the hell?" Vielka breathed as she rose from her seat and walking closer to the projection, watching as the footage showed two aliens standing in the middle of the road. Suddenly, the camera panned to show four men walking towards them, and she recognised one of them. "Is that…Tony Stark?"

Shuri narrowed her eyes, trying to make out the man she was talking about. They could only see the four men from behind. "Yes! I think it is!"

"We have to make sure T'Challa is seeing this," Vielka said, moving to grab her own Kimoyo beads and open a channel with the Wakandan King.

"I am," came the Wakandan King's voice from the entrance above them, causing both to look up in surprise. He strode over the gangway, looking down at the screen as Okoye followed along behind him, a grim look on her face. "What information do we have?"

Both Shuri and Vielka moved into action, hurriedly moving to keyboards and beginning to scan news channels for any information available about the aliens.

"According to eye witnesses, the alien space ship just appeared without any warning, but it's only one," Shuri explained, scrolling through pages quickly.

"And it's only two aliens, according to the information I can find. There's not been any other aliens sighted but those two. And no government intelligence or space programs detected alien ships approaching at any time," Vielka added, motioning back to the screen where Tony Stark and the three other men were currently squaring off with the two aliens. They were both quite hideous looking, one seemed brawnier than the other, but Vielka was well aware that appearances accounted for nothing in one's ability in a fight.

"Is there any news about any of the other Avengers other than Tony Stark?" Okoye asked. "Captain America? Black Widow?"

Shuri and Vielka both looked back to their screens and were quiet for a moment while they scanned for the information, before both looked at each other and then back to Okoye and T'Challa. "Nothing."

T'Challa looked grim, before glancing at Okoye, who seemed to look pointedly at the King, as if telling him he knew what he had to do. T'Challa sighed, before nodding and beginning to pass out orders. "Okoye, get Nakia out of LA. Shuri, you need to contact the outer villages and prepare the defenses for the worst. Vielka, I need you to see if you can track the other Avengers and make contact, find out what they know."

They all leapt into action.

 **oOOo**

Vielka didn't need to search for the remainder of the Avengers for long, because they called her. Another pair of aliens had tracked down Vision and attacked him, while he was visiting the Scarlett Witch, Wanda, no less. It turned out, that one of the missing Avengers, Bruce Banner aka the Hulk, had been in New York with Tony during the attack and warned Steve of the alien's plans. Steve and his counterparts were able to get to Vision and Wanda in time to put a halt to the alien's plans, but now, they needed help with protecting Vision. Vielka sprinted towards the council room where T'Challa was now discussing the current situation in New York.

She barrelled through the door, alarming both the Kingsguard and the Dora Milaje, who turned their weapons to face her. T'Challa and the council turned their attention to her, stunned at her sudden intrusion without warning, but she breezed past the guards and towards T'Challa.

"I made contact with the Avengers. They're on their way here, and it's not good news."

T'Challa allowed Vielka to explain the situation to the council, which she did briefly, only passing on the essential information so that the Tribe Elders could prepare their people. Once she was done, T'Challa called a close to the meeting, sending the council on their way to prepare, while joining Vielka and Okoye in Shuri's lab, where she was also preparing for the Avenger's arrival.

"You say they want to get a stone out of Vision's head?" Shuri asked incredulously.

"Vision is a humanoid, man-made, at the hand's of Tony Stark and Bruce Banner," Vielka explained. "The stone in his head is actually a special stone with great power, and Thor allowed it to be placed there, thinking it would be safe."

"But it is not, anymore?" Okoye asked. Vielka nodded once. "So why don't they just rip it out?"

"Because it's basically what he is. If it's not removed carefully, Vision dies. And, well…it's complicated…" Vielka didn't know how to explain that the Sokovian teen and humanoid were in a relationship.

"I can do it." Shuri answered the unasked question confidently. T'Challa, Vielka and Okoye looked at her expectantly. "I can remove it, I just need to analyse the work and figure it out."

T'Challa looked to Vielka. "What's their ETA?"

"Steve and his crew should be here within 24 hours. The alien invaders? Too hard to guess, but I would wager not much longer after them," Vielka answered grimly.

"Alright, we don't have much time. Shuri, you prepare for Vision's arrival. Vielka and Okoye, I have a special mission for you. We are going to need all the help we can get." They all nodded in response to the Wakandan King, a grim air of expectance lingering in the lab.

 **oOOo**

Vielka and Okoye disembarked the Wakandan jet flyer atop a hill overlooking a small village. T'Challa had been vague in his information, but had told them that there was some help available to them in the village. Vielka was suspicious of T'Challa's behaviour on sending them on this mission. The only other thing he had provided them with was co-ordinates.

In saying that, he had also sent his mother, Queen Ramonda off to the Jabari, to speak to M'Baku at that very moment too. Vielka had volunteered, but T'Challa thought it unwise, as the Jabari leader had a bad habit of trying to proposition Vielka, often putting her in bad mood and coming very close to blows with the Jabari leader.

The co-ordinates T'Challa gave them had led them to this small village that skirted the Jabari's territory in the mountains, the village positioned right at the base of the mountains. Vielka walked towards the small village, a group of young children running out to greet them. She spotted two boys that were vaguely familiar, they had prominence during the special ceremony held to crown T'Challa as King several months ago, just before Killmonger had come to take a claim at the crown. Their painted faces stood out in the crowd of children.

Vielka slowed as the children approached them, slightly wary of them. She hadn't had much to do with children in a very long time, and looked to Okoye to deal with them.

The Dora General knelt down to address the children. " _Hello, children, we are here to look for someone? We are told they are expecting us?"_ Okoye explained in Xhosa.

The children looked from one another, before glancing toward the two boys that Vielka recognised. They were both looking up at her, knowing smiles on their faces. They motioned at the two women to follow them and took off back towards the village, the other children following them excitedly.

Okoye and Vielka glanced sideways at each other, both adjusting their sheathed weapons carefully, before following after the children, who looked back at them excitedly occasionally to make sure they were still following. They walked towards a hut that was off to one side of the village, positioned slightly on a hill, with goats and chickens roaming in small fenced off yards. Okoye walked with her, although a step behind, as was customary by Wakandan military standards, much to Vielka's chagrin.

Although Okoye held the highest rank amongst the Dora Milaje, she still considered Vielka her superior when on duty now. Vielka had tried to argue against it, but she found it an uphill fight and so for the most part, ignored the behaviour.

Vielka stopped a little way before the hut as the children that led her there did. The two boys with the painted faces disappeared into the hut, while the other children looked back at her, grinning, which she found quite off-putting.

" _Is this it?"_ she asked in Xhosa, to both the children and her comrade, glancing sideways at Okoye as she stopped beside her.

"It would seem so," Okoye answered. She looked to the hut before calling out. _"Your King calls upon your service in battle, comrade!"_

They waited a moment, Vielka narrowing her eyes as she noticed the entirety of the village appeared to be surrounding the hut. She itched to reach for her sword for some reason, something felt a miss.

" _White Wolf! White Wolf! White Wolf!"_ the children began to chant, while the adult villagers looked expectantly at the entry to the hut.

"Okoye…" Vielka murmured, beginning to take a step back with caution. She glanced sideways at her counterpart, both sharing a mutual feeling of wariness.

The next moment, the hide sheet across the doorway of the hut was pulled aside and both women were on alert. A figure dressed in a brown Wakandan robe stepped out, slightly bent over as he was too tall for the doorway, with his head down.

He was indeed, white, as the villagers had dubbed him, and his long brown hair fell down about his shoulders as he straightened again once he was clear of the door. His hair fell away from his face and both Okoye and Vielka were on their guard immediately. Okoye gripped her spear tightly, spinning it expertly before pointing its sharp tip towards the White Wolf,poised to strike, while Vielka reached over her shoulder and unsheathed one of her blades with a resounding tang as it slipped out of it's wooden sheath.

"Whoa, whoa!" he exclaimed, raising his hand in front of him, his palm open for them to see he was unarmed. Vielka held her sword warily at her side as she moved in front of Okoye, knowing that out of the two women, she was the most likely to stand a chance against the Super Soldier's strength. "I'm not going to hurt you," he implored, not taking his eyes from Vielka's.

"You'll have to excuse us if we don't take your word for it, Sergeant Barnes," Vielka sneered, raising her sword slightly so it was pointed more directly at him. She didn't miss the look of pain that drifted across his face when she addressed him formally.

The two boys with the painted faces were quick to run in front of the White Wolf, much to both Okoye and Vielka's surprise. The two boys looked back at them with unwavering confidence, seemingly unperturbed by Okoye's and Vielka's weapons.

"Then take my word!" came a shout from behind them. They both turned around in surprise at the familiar voice. It was Shuri, who was running towards them, a case in hand and a Kingsguard running after her. The villagers made a path for her, allowing her to run right up to stand in front of the two boys and Bucky. She was panting, but looked resolutely at Vielka. "He's no longer the Winter Soldier."

Vielka furrowed her brow, glancing from Shuri, to the children and then to the man that stood behind them, looking back at her. In his face, she saw several emotions. There was concern and sadness, not for himself, but it appeared, for her. His eyes never left hers, watching her. Part of her wanted to forgive him then and there, but another part of her was angry and in pain. The hand that held the sword, wavered slightly, lowering ever so slightly as she considered the man staring back at her.

Okoye was the first to respond to Shuri, stepping up beside Vielka. "If he is not him, then who is he?" she demanded in confusion, withdrawing her own spear and looking at Shuri suspiciously.

It was the man himself, who answered. "I'm James Buchanan Barnes," he replied, beginning to move past the two boys, pushing them aside gently with his arm. It was as he moved through the children and past Shuri, that Vielka noted he was missing a piece that made him so recognisable. His titanium arm, the same arm that she easily recalled the feeling of his cold metal fingers wrapping around her throat, squeezing tightly as her airways were cut off, was now missing. His shoulder was now covered by a blue piece of cloth that draped across his chest. The memory of his actions caused her to scowl slightly and tighten her grip on her sword.

He stepped past Shuri, who made a move to stop him, only for him to motion that he was okay. Vielka still held her sword, albeit at her side, out of respect for the Wakandan princess before her. Bucky came to a stop before Vielka and she saw him give a fleeting glance to the sword in her hand, before he looked back into her eyes. "But you can call me Bucky."

Vielka arched a brow slightly, before glancing at Okoye, who looked at her meaningfully. She knew that look, it was the look she gave Vielka whenever she wanted her to know she trusted her decision. She also knew that meant that Okoye didn't feel any threat from the Super Soldier that Vielka used to call her friend. Vielka looked back to Bucky, who slowly offered his hand to her. She chewed the inside of her cheek, contemplating how many ways she could render him unconscious if this was a trap. There were plenty of options without his arm.

She tensed her sword arm slightly, and was mildly surprised when Bucky didn't even flinch at the movement, his eyes remaining unwaveringly on hers. She swapped her sword to her left hand, before looking to his offered hand and carefully accepting it. It was warm and strong, just how she remembered it.

She met his gaze then, as he looked at her. His eyes were lively, many emotions seemed to be moving through them, and there was an obvious light there that she had not seen before. He smiled at her and she quickly released his hand and looked away, sheathing her sword as she did so.

Okoye looked to Shuri, quickly bringing the attention away from Vielka, which the Australian was extremely grateful for. "Shuri, care to explain?"

Vielka looked to the Wakandan teen, who appeared to be a ball of excitement, with a wide grin plastered on her face. "It took some time, but Sergeant Barnes is now free from HYDRA's influence," Shuri explained, stepping toward the two female warriors finally, still holding the long narrow case in her hand. "He can never be controlled at the mention of a few words, ever again." She motioned to the three of them to follow her, leading them away from the crowd of villagers to a cart that sat a short distance away with hay bales resting on top of it.

"And why did your brother feel the need to send us out here, with absolutely no information about who we were retrieving? Why not just tell us it was Bucky?" Vielka asked, unsuccessfully hiding her annoyance, as Shuri placed the case on top of one of the hay bales.

Shuri looked at her pointedly. "Would you have come?"

Vielka ground her teeth in annoyance, feeling Bucky's eyes on her too. She looked away from him, instead looking at Okoye for help. The Dora General only shrugged her shoulder slightly in response. Vielka narrowed her eyes at the Wakandan, some help she was. Vielka bit her bottom lip, before turning to look at Bucky finally, doing her best to be civil. "You're expected back at the palace, when you're ready."

"Wait, he can't go anywhere without this," Shuri exclaimed, reaching for the case in front of her and opening it. Inside the case, was a metal prosthetic arm, not too dissimilar from the titanium one he used to have, except this one was clearly made of Vibranium. Vielka felt the blood inside her veins go icy cold as the memory of his cold fingers wrapping around her neck returned. "I will get him fitted and he will join you in a few minutes, I must continue out to the Border Tribe to prepare them for the impeding assault."

Vielka took a deep breath to calm her nerves, while Okoye nodded to Shuri.

"We will be waiting at the jet," Okoye said to Bucky and they both turned to leave, but Bucky quickly reached out for Vielka's wrist, catching it as she turned.

"Hey, it was good to see you again," he said quietly.

Vielka looked from her wrist to Bucky, considering his hand for a moment. It was warm against the skin of her wrist that was exposed below her armour, her skin seeming to react to his touch, although she couldn't decipher if it was a good or bad feeling. Her mind was a jumble, but she was quick to quell her thoughts and emotions.

She shook her wrist free from his grasp, giving him a curt nod. "Yeah, it was…nice." She turned and continued in her way, Okoye narrowing her eyes at Bucky as she turned to follow the tall Australian.

* * *

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	28. Chapter 28

**Last chapter for a bit. This fic is way more emotional than my other one, so it's a lot harder for me to write, because generally speaking I'm not a very empathetic person, let alone emotional. I mean, I didn't even cry in Infinity War (I'm a monster, I know...)**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 28**

Vielka and Okoye walked up to their waiting jet in silence, the Australian lost in her own thoughts. They stood at the base of the jet, waiting for the ramp to lower and allow them access inside.

"Vielka?" The Australian glanced sideways at the Dora General who stood beside her, finding her looking back at her with a look of concern. "Are you alright?"

"Mm? Yes, I'm fine. What is it?"

"The bay doors are open…"

"Huh?" Vielka looked up at the jet to see that the ramp was indeed lowered and the doors wide open. "Oh."

"Is there something you have on your mind?" Okoye asked, as they both began walking up the ramp into the jet.

"It's nothing," she replied in an offhand manner, not meeting the General's eyes.

"Nothing on the mind can get you and your soldier's killed."

Vielka furrowed her brow and looked at Okoye in disdain, before moving to remove her weapons. "Really, Okoye, you can be really morbid when you want to be."

"Perhaps, but it is the truth, bearing your burdens and thinking of 'nothing' can be troublesome," Okoye replied knowingly.

"Speaking from experience?" Vielka challenged the General.

"Maybe not literally."

Vielka sighed, glancing back out the doors of the jet. "Yeah, well, I've done alright up to this point."

Okoye narrowed her eyes at the Australian as Vielka moved to the co-pilot's seat. Okoye hated letting Vielka fly, she considered her a brash and spontaneous pilot, so Vielka had become used to being in the passenger seat when Okoye was around. "You know, it does seem that the Sergeant is himself again."

Vielka tensed in her seat at the mention of the Super Soldier they were waiting on. She glanced at the Wakandan General as the comms alert sounded. Vielka diverted her attention and annoyance from the Dora and pressed the button, a holoscreen featuring T'Challa's face appearing. "What?" Vielka barked.

T'Challa raised an eyebrow in response to Vielka's snappy greeting. Okoye saluted the King, while Vielka just looked up at him, neglecting to hide her annoyance. T'Challa returned Okoye's salute, before speaking. "Did you find him?"

"You could have told me," Vielka replied, knowing there was no need to answer the question.

"Would you have done so without argument?"

Vielka chewed the inside of her cheek, doing her best to ebb the urge to sling an insult at the Wakandan King. "He's with Shuri while she fits his new arm."

T'Challa looked to Okoye, before continuing. "We have guests arriving soon, I need you to hurry and return here as soon as possible. Okoye, I need you to prepare all our available forces and wait for me on the landing pad. Vielka, you are to take Bucky to the armoury to be fitted for battle."

Vielka hissed in response to her orders. "I'm sure you can spare a guard for-" Vielka began to argue.

"This is not up for discussion, Banzai," T'Challa replied with a tone of finality. As if using her former call sign wasn't enough to put her in her place. Vielka bit her bottom lip again, saying nothing in response. "Our guests arrive in one hour."

Vielka took a deep breath as Okoye closed off the comms screen and began preparing the jet for flight. She had barely begun when they heard footsteps climbing the ramp behind them. Both turned to look to see Bucky topping the ramp, still dressed in his Wakandan robes. He looked around the jet quickly, before spotting them both looking at him. The Australian sneered slightly, before turning back to face the front screen. "Excuse me, Wakandan Jesus, we've got shit to do. Buckle in," she said as she pressed a button on the console in front of her, causing the ramp to begin to rise and the loading bay doors to close.

She heard Bucky move towards the load bay seats that lined the fuselage of the jet, taking note of one of the safety belt lights activating on the console in front of her to say that they were engaged. She nodded to Okoye, giving her the go ahead to launch the jet.

"You don't need to be so harsh, Vielka."

"Just fly the god damned jet, General."

 **oOOo**

When they finally made it back to the Golden City, Vielka took Bucky to the armoury, where several of the Wakandan Design Group's techs were waiting expectantly for them. Vielka waited off to one side for them to finish suiting Bucky up for battle, skimming through news articles on her Kimoyo beads. There had been more alien sighting videos from New York appear online, and Vielka was surprised to see the boy known as Spiderman had gotten involved. She remembered that Tony Stark had been somewhat protective of the boy, and was surprised to see him involved in the fight.

As she watched the videos, she caught a glimpse of Bucky changing into an armoured jacket in the corner of her eye. She noted, as he was shirtless, that he seemed to have slimmed down recently, although still very fit, he just wasn't carrying as much bulk as he used to.

Her eyes lingered on him for a moment as he adjusted the zipper and buttons on his jacket, until he looked up and his eyes met hers. She was quick to avert her eyes, and silently scolded herself for staring at him.

" _Nomondli_ ," one of the technicians called her by her official title in Xhosa, snapping her attention to him. " _Princess Shuri requested we give these to you."_ She looked to what he was holding. He appeared to be holding a set of bracers, similar to what the warriors wore during ceremonies in Wakanda.

" _What are they?"_ she asked curiously, standing up and analysing them without touching them.

He motioned for her to raise her arm, carefully placing one of the bracers around her forearm. _"When activated by placing the bracers across each other, they activate a shield barrier that can last for about three minutes,"_ he explained. The bracer was a lot lighter than it looked, hardly hindering her at all. _"However, it will need to recharge for about ten minutes after every use."_

" _Let me guess, its only a prototype?"_ she quipped, looking at the technician expectantly. He grimaced slightly before nodding. "She always likes using me as a crash test dummy." She suddenly became very aware that someone was watching her, turning to see Bucky standing a short distance away, now fully clothed.

 **oOOo**

He gave her a small smile, which she did not return. She nodded to the technician in thanks, before looking back to Bucky momentarily. "You need a weapon," she commented, before turning on her heel and walking away from him without waiting for a response. He was quick to follow her. She led him to another part of the armoury, approaching a room that had laser bars across the entrance. She lifted her arm, tapping on a bead on her bracelet, which caused the laser bars to disappear in time for her to reach the doorway.

Bucky hesitated for a moment, unsure whether he was supposed to follow her. She stopped just inside the door, glancing over her shoulder at him. "Well, you want to enter a fight with a weapon or not?"

He was quick to follow her then, hurrying through the doorway and looking around. The room was well lit, with racks and racks of a variety of weapons lining the walls. He looked in awe at all the weapons, the whole palace had him in awe, but the armoury was eye-opening. And he couldn't help but note how comfortable Vielka seemed around it all. He wondered what she had been doing while he had been gone. He eyed several different weapons as he slowly walked through the room. Even The Facility they used wasn't this well stocked before he had left.

Vielka didn't stop to look at any of the weapons on the wall, instead walking straight over to the furthest corner of the storeroom and pressing the bracelet on her wrist again. A panel opened in the corner and she pulled out another rack from within the wall. "I figure you would prefer to handle something you're familiar with." She stepped back to reveal a familiar weapon. It was a Natasha's sub machine gun that he had borrowed all the way back in Siberia. "It's been maintained and restocked. Whenever you're ready, I'll be waiting outside. Hurry up."

Before he could even thank her, or even consider thanking her, she moved to walk back past him, but he reached out to stop her with his right hand, as he had done back at the village he had called home. "Wait." She stopped but didn't look back at him, her arm tensing at his touch. He felt his heart ache at the reaction but ploughed on. "I'm sorry."

She turned her head slightly, her eyes barely moving enough to register him fully. "Let me go."

"I'm sorry, I can't. I have regretted what I did to you, every day, since it happened," he replied, pulling her arm slightly to try and force her to face him front on. She narrowed her eyes slightly, although allowed herself to look at him. "I need you to know that I never wanted to hurt you, or the General, or anyone."

She looked back at him with a deadpan expression, which left Bucky feeling extremely cold. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

"What?" He was taken aback, that was not what he was expecting to hear from her.

"Why…didn't you tell me?" she repeated herself. He stared at her for a moment, unable to respond. "You can hit me, knock me down, rip me apart, whatever, but what kills me, is that you never told me." She glared at him, before pulling her arm free from his grasp. "If you can't answer me that, then we are done talking, Sergeant Barnes."

She moved to walk away.

"I was scared." She stopped again, before whipping her head around to look at him again, her eyes narrowed. "I was scared that you would demand to be there, and that I could hurt you, or worse, if Shuri couldn't fix me."

She blinked a few times, before tilting her head to one side as she considered him. The look of anger in her eyes was replaced with confusion. "What?"

"You are the only person that understands what I've been through. Apart from Steve, you're the only person that I have ever gotten close to since I became...this. And I feel like I've gotten closer to you than I ever was to Steve. I wanted to fix myself before I ended up hurting you. But, in doing so, I guess I hurt you more than I ever could of under HYDRA's influence. I'm sorry."

Bucky watched as Vielka's jaw tensed and she stared at him in disbelief for a moment, and in the bright lights of the armoury, he could see her cheeks gaining a pink tinge to them. She looked away from him, glancing around the room as if she was avoiding looking at him. "Uh, we should really get going, grab your stuff and let's go." Vielka turned and hurried from the room, and although Bucky felt a pang of disappointment at her refusing to respond to him, he was happy that she hadn't completely turned on him. It was a step in the right direction, and he was certain that he could work with that now.

He picked up his stuff, before hurrying after Vielka.

 **oOOo**

Vielka led Bucky to the landing bay, his words resonating in her head, over and over again. Was it possible, was Gaia right? Was she being selfish when she got angry about what Bucky had done? She really didn't have time to be worrying about this right now. She had a job to do. She tried to concentrate on what they were about to do, but she had become very aware of Bucky walking closely behind her. She felt like she could hear every breath he was taking, every movement he made sounded extremely close to her and she couldn't shake the feeling of awareness at all.

When they eventually made it down to the landing pad, she was glad to have some distraction as she noticed there was already an aircraft waiting there. Vielka stopped behind the lines of gathered Dora Milaje, Kingsguard and Jabari tribesman, assessing the gathered people.

"Your highness," a familiar voice said from the other side of the gathered Dora. She smirked slightly, before turning back to look at Bucky, who was looking around the landing pad in awe. She forgot he had never actually been to the palace before, his main place of residence being The Facility before the incident. The thought caused her to grimace slightly, but she was quick to focus her thoughts elsewhere.

"Hey," she called to Bucky, gaining his attention. She motioned with her head towards the gathered Dora. "You're going to want to see this." He looked at her with a slightly confused look on his face but stepped forward.

Her voice had caught the attention of the Dora Milaje and Kingsguard ranks standing in front of her and they parted respectfully for the higher ranking officer, in their mind anyway. Vielka saw Steve Rogers standing before T'Challa as the ranks parted, and she stepped back to allow Bucky through. Steve spotted his old friend and smiled warmly, before moving to greet him. Vielka glanced at Bucky and was surprised to see a wide grin spread across his face as he stepped forward to greet Steve.

"How you been, Buck?" Steve asked, extending a hand to Bucky, which he took firmly before they both hugged.

"Not bad, for the end of the world," Bucky replied, a joking grin on his face. Vielka raised an eyebrow and gave a light scoff, drawing their attention to her.

"Paddy," Steve greeted with a pointed look. Vielka scowled in response to the nickname, before rolling her eyes.

"Captain."

She didn't miss the fall in Steve's posture at the mention of his former rank. Nor did she miss the falter in his smile, either. "Just Steve is fine," he replied sombrely, causing Vielka to raise both eyebrows in surprise. When she had last seen him, he had made no mention of discontentment about his alias. Now, however, it was evident in his uniform and his features that he no longer considered himself fighting for America. He had allowed his facial hair to grow out, his hair was longer, and the iconic 'star spangled' uniform was now blacked out. The 'Soldier' was gone, replaced with a man who had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

She sighed, before holding her hand out to him. "Steve, good to see you again." He gave a small smile and took her hand carefully, obviously forgetting about Vielka's own abilities, as she gripped his hand back firmly. "Shame it's not under better circumstances." He nodded in agreement.

Vielka looked past Steve to see the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff. She smiled and nodded to the smaller woman, it had been a few months since she had seen her since she and Steve had left the safety of Wakanda.

Behind her were several others she didn't recognise, as well as Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes. She acknowledged the Colonel before moving to stand behind T'Challa, sighing as he motioned for everyone to follow him.

He led the Avengers to Shuri's lab, Bruce Banner, T'Challa, Steve, Vision and Wanda all heading inside to meet with the teen genius, while Vielka and the others kept guard outside.

"Vielka," Sam greeted, moving stand beside her where she looked over the landing pads of the lab.

"Sam."

"Come on, you missed me a little, right?" Sam teased, sidling closer to her.

"Not even a little," she quipped in response, keeping an eye on the skies. Sam pouted slightly, causing her to look at him. "Really?"

"You know you missed me," he said with a wink, nudging her with his elbow. She rolled her eyes in response, but could't help the little bit of a smile that spread across her face. Sam's attitude was contagious. He could be serious and yet still make a situation bearable. "See, there it is."

She shook her head and began to walk away from him as he laughed and moved towards Colonel Rhodes. As she walked, she felt a presence behind her, turning to see Bucky walking a short ways behind her. "You do not have to follow me everywhere, you should have learnt enough skills in the 102nd to be able to patrol on your own."

"I dunno, we always patrolled in pairs," Bucky replied, looking at her pointedly as she narrowed her eyes at him. She huffed slightly, before beginning to walk again.

"Bucky Barnes..." she muttered under her breath. She turned to look at him again, caught by surprise when she saw him grinning at her. She felt her chest tighten at the sight and her cheeks heat. "What?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking how you haven't changed at all, still a sight for sore eyes."

She clenched her jaw, looking up at the sky to try and avoid looking at him. He was really something else.

* * *

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


	29. Chapter 29

**Oh hi! I know I said that last chapter would be the last for awhile, but I lied...so sue me :P**

 **I got inspired and managed to pump out a chapter and a half in a matter of a day, so here you go.**

 **Thanks to all those that took the time to review, I do appreciate your efforts, thank you!**

 **And thanks to those that have followed, and continue to follow this fic.**

 **Enjoy**

 **xo**

* * *

 **Chapter 29**

Bucky followed along behind Vielka as she walked along the edge of the landing bay. He didn't want to push the envelope and walk beside her, giving her some space. He knew it wasn't going to be instantly like the way they were before the incident, but he was hoping they would get there again one day.

He was looking out over the landscape, taking it all in. He had really come to be comfortable here while he was undergoing treatment. Shuri had recommended that once the treatment was mostly completely, he start undertaking some 'life treatment' as she called it. T'Challa and the Border Tribe had provided Bucky some land and a village to work with, as well as animals. He learnt to work alongside the Wakandans, to provide for himself and the village, and he had come to find the work very carthatic. He was so busy taking in the land from a different angle to what he was used to, he didn't immediately notice that Vielka had slowed her pace, moving over slightly so she was now only slightly ahead of him. "Pretty, isn't it?"

He snapped his head to look at her, slightly surprised that she addressed him without being spoken to first. She looked back at him expectantly, an eyebrow arched as she glanced from him to the Wakandan plains before him. He smiled lightly in return before turning back to look at the Grasslands that spread out before them. "Yeah, it really is. I feel strangely at home in Wakanda."

He turned his attention back to her, but she looked back out over the grasslands with a thoughtful expression on her face. "It's funny how a place that is nothing like where you really came from, can feel more like a home."

He stared at her for a moment, before nodding slightly. She was right, he couldn't imagine feeling as comfortable as he did here anywhere else. And he couldn't help but think he would never feel happy if he didn't have Vielka close by either. She was just too important to him now.

He didn't realise he was staring at her until she narrowed her eyes at him. "What?"

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking how true that was," he replied sheepishly, looking away. He mentally scolded himself for betraying his own thoughts, before looking back at her. She must have noticed his movement, as her gaze shifted back to him. As he looked at her, his mind and body seemed to be screaming at him. He hadn't seen her in months, and that time had felt like an eternity. All he wanted to do was tell her everything, how he had constantly had her within his thoughts, how he missed her, how she had been the motivation he needed to fight the HYDRA brainwashing. It felt like they maintained eye contact for way too long, and his thoughts whirled around his head, seeming to muddle up as they fought for prominence in his head.

He didn't take his eyes off her, and she furrowed her brow, frowning slightly. He suddenly felt an overwhelming need. The need to hold her, to feel her skin, to tell her how he felt, and it was like his body moved on it's own. He grabbed her hand, half expecting her to pull back, but she just looked down at her hand in confusion. He tugged on her hand, pulling her closer to him, and strangely, she allowed herself to be pulled forwards.

The next second, he had pulled her into his embrace, wrapping his arms about her body, resting his hand of flesh against the back of her neck. She tensed in his arms, and he expected her to fight him off, but she seemed frozen. He moved his hand carefully to her cheek, pulling his face away from hers, to look into her eyes. There he could see what seemed like a million different emotions flitting through the golden brown of her eyes. Fear and confusion were prominent, but so was something else. Something that seemed inviting to him. He stalled for a moment, his bravado slipping slightly as he tried to decipher her expression.

Suddenly, he felt her arms circle his waist, as he ran his thumb against the smooth skin of her cheek, that seemed even more flawless than he remembered. The fear and confusion subsiding in her expression, as she raised her head slightly, to look more entirely into his eyes. "Bucky?" her voice was a whisper, breathy and slightly husky, like she had her breath taken from her. As he stared at her lips, he remembered the last time he had felt them, even if it wasn't of her own choice. The thought both saddened him and excited him.

Her arms tightened around him, and he could bear it no longer, lowering his lips to hers and rejoicing in the heated, smooth feel of her lips again. She seemed to tense in his arms again, and he almost stopped, wondering if this had been another terrible mistake, but she moved against him, her lips moving against his, opening slightly as if to welcome him. He moved his hand to slip his fingers within her hair, wanting to deepen the kiss, and he felt her moan quietly as her hands moved further up his back.

She pulled away first, a slightly bewildered look on her face, and he could understand the feeling. He wasn't sure what came over him, perhaps it was finally being closer to her again, or it was the impeding doom effect, but whatever the reason, his mind was reeling. She stepped away from him, blinking a few times, and then continued to walk away again, returning to the same pace as before, with no sense of urgency or haste to be away from him.

He was confused and moved to follow her, but before he could say anything, she stopped, looking down at her wrist, as her bracelet began to chime loudly. She lifted it up and pushed one of the beads on the bracelet into the palm of her hand. The bead projected something above, something he couldn't make out. The Wakandan tech wasn't something he was going to get used to any time soon. For a moment, he tried to figure out what he was looking at, but then his eyes drifted up to look at Vielka's face.

Her expression was grim, her jaw tensed as she looked at the image. She lifted her eyes and met his own gaze, and what he saw there made his whole body tense. There was real fear in her eyes like he had never seen before, although her face did not allow the emotion to show for a moment.

"We've got company, unidentified vehicle has entered the Earth's atmosphere above Wakanda," she said, before beginning to walk quickly past him and towards the others. Sam was looking up at the sky as they approached. "You picking something up too?"

"Seeing, is believing," Sam answered, looking up. Bucky followed suit, looking to the sky. Above them several objects were burning up as the burst through the earth's atmosphere, heading straight for the ground without even slowing down. Sam moved his hand to his ear, pressing his commslink. "Hey, Cap. We got a situation here."

Bucky and Vielka stopped in front of the others, all turning their heads up to watch as the first ship broke through the clouds, it looked like it was heading straight for Golden City. Bucky felt everyone around them tense except for Vielka. Both watched the ship calmly as it fell towards them.

A moment later, the ship made impact with the shield that surrounded Golden City, the ensuing explosion making Sam, Colonel Rhodes and Bruce all jump slightly.

Bucky glanced at Vielka and saw her smirking at the others, before her eyes met his. "God, I love this place." She stifled a giggle, quickly trying to hide her smile.

"Yeah, don't start celebrating yet guys," Colonel Rhodes replied, activating his War Machine suit, the face plate dropping down over his face. "We got more incoming outside the dome."

Vielka started moving beads on her wrist, before moving one into her palm, beginning to tap at a screen projected by the bead. "Trajectory has them landing about ten kilometres outside the North-West side barrier." Bucky couldn't help but be impressed as she turned her face back up to watch more ships enter the atmosphere.

They watched as the ships made impact in the forests surrounding the Golden City barrier. For a moment, he wondered if his village was going to be okay, and if these were the only ships making impact in Wakanda. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder, looking up to see Vielka giving him a sympathetic look. He felt like his body was electrified at just her touch. He reached up, careful to use his right hand again as he had to touch her cheek before, and rested it on hers, nodding gratefully to her, aware that she understood what he was thinking.

Her eyes lingered on his for a moment, before drifting down to look to his lips, before she quickly withdrew her hand again, walking away and shouting orders to the Border Tribe and Kingsguard as the transport crafts arrived on the landing bay.

 **oOOo**

Vielka watched as the hills below them seemed to speed by like a blur, while they approached the shield barrier to the East. The plan was that they would meet the alien army head on, buying Shuri time to safely remove the stone from the humanoid, Vision, and allowing Wanda to destroy it without harming him. It would hopefully put a stop to the plans of the alien dubbed the 'Mad Titan', Thanos.

Vielka glanced around her quickly. Her mind was still on her encounter with Bucky. What had come over her? One second she was doing her best to overcome her rage at him, the next she was unable to resist the need to touch him, to be in contact with him. The thought of his lips on hers had her cheeks heat, they felt like they were fire, much like her lips as she remembered the feeling of his smooth lips on hers and his arms encasing her. She shook her head to try and shake the distracting thoughts, looking around the transport she was in. She was now in the same transport craft as Okoye and T'challa, right alongside M'Baku.

The Great Gorilla, as he enjoyed being called, nudged at her with his elbow. " _Nomondli,_ it has been a long time," he said with a teasing grin.

Vielka raised an eyebrow, careful not to change her expression. She hadn't been in the same room as M'Baku since after the battle for Wakanda against Killmonger, when T'Challa had chosen to welcome M'Baku and his tribe back into the council. The reason for that being, and Nakia, Okoye and Shuri all liked to tease Vielka about it, was that M'Baku seemed to have become quite fond of her. He often brought her 'gifts', by Jabari standards anyway. Personally, killing a Springbok in her name really did nothing for her. "It has."

M'Baku leaned forwards slightly, so that he was closer to her ear, and she had to use all her willpower not to knock him away. "Did you get the Springbok I brought for you in my last visit?"

"I thought you were vegetarian?" she retorted, leaning away slightly and not looking at him. Even at this moment, she couldn't help but think about her proximity to Bucky during their embrace, and she felt her cheeks heat as she quickly looked away from M'Baku.

"When I can be bothered."

She blinked, trying to get her head around his answer, before discreetly shaking her head and trying to maintain her focus on what was happening around them. Over the commlink she heard Natasha.

"How we looking, Bruce?"

"Yeah, I think I'm getting the hang of it," Bruce replied from within the Hulk Buster suit. Thanks to Colonel Rhodes, they were able to secure the use of the suit for the impending battle, since apparently the good doctor was not on good terms with his alter ego, The Hulk. He activated the thrusters on the suit, launching himself into the air. "Whoa! This is amazing man! It's like being the hulk without actually-"

He was cut off as the suit landed, before tripping over a boulder and crashing face first into the ground. M'Baku, Okoye and Vielka both watched him struggling to his feet as they sped past, Vielka noting the look of disdain on Okoye's face beside her. She tried her best not to laugh, looking back to face the front.

"Hmph, I don't know about these outsiders," M'Baku muttered, pulling a face as he turned around. Vielka felt herself tense at his choice of words, her first few encounters with M'Baku still well imprinted in her mind.

"Really?" T'Challa piped up. "Don't forget, Lord M'Baku, you stand beside an Outsider, and have requested several times that she share a meal with us."

Vielka furrowed her brow slightly upon hearing that. She glanced from T'Challa, who was smirking slightly, to M'Baku, to see the great man looking sheepish, avoiding looking at her. He coughed slightly, and Vielka could just make out the slightest of pink tinges to his cheeks.

"Well, uh," he grimaced and coughed again, clearly trying to come up with some excuse. "I needed to extend my gratitude and uh…"

Vielka raised a mocking eyebrow at the leader of the Jabari, before turning back to look towards the spaceships in the distance, choosing to ignore the man's awkward attempts to defend his actions towards her.

Overhead, Sam and War Machine sped by. "Cap, I'm reading two heat signatures breaking through the tree line," War Machine announced through their commlinks.

Vielka narrowed her eyes to look ahead as the transports came to the top of a hill. The five or six ships had crashed into a haphazard line, fire burning through the forests all around them. She wrinkled her nose slightly in annoyance at the needless destruction of the beautiful landscape, before focusing on dismounting the craft as it approached the drop zone. She alighted easily over the side, landing at a crouch before moving into position beside Natasha.

It didn't take long until Bucky appeared beside her, and Steve beside Natasha. Neither said anything, although Natasha glanced at Steve, who nodded in greeting. Vielka quickly glanced at Bucky beside her, noting the grim yet determined look on his face, his Vibranium arm shining under the Wakandan sun. A slight breeze caught his hair and blew it across his face, but he remained stoic and focused. And yet, her eyes drifted down to his lips again.

She was quick to follow suit, looking back to the tree line and pushing the thoughts from her mind, as two figures made their way through the tree line. Vielka looked towards Steve, his lips were pulled into a thin line, a look of grim determination on his face and she couldn't help but be in awe of the man. He looked down to Natasha before walking forward with T'Challa, the Russian quick to follow. It took a few agonizing minutes for them to reach the edge of the barrier, Vielka on edge when she saw, what appeared to be a female alien, touch the shield with her weapon. The barrier sparked and fizzled at the contact of the weapon.

Vielka watched them from afar, not quite able to make out what was being said, but the female alien's face made it obvious that she did not like Natasha. It was Vielka's understanding from her first phone call with the former Avengers, that the female alien had been one of the two that attacked Vision and Wanda in the UK, Natasha, Sam and Steve getting the better of her and her partner, even wounding her partner in the process. The alien woman's counterpart, on the other hand, reminded Vielka of a Rhinoceros, and for a quick minute, she considered sending some of the Border Tribesman off to fetch some Wakandan War Rhinos.

She smirked slightly at the thought of perhaps the two creatures being able to communicate, and apparently, her smirk drew Bucky's attention.

"Something funny?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the exchange at the edge of the barrier.

His voice had her chest tighten slightly, but she was quick to focus her thoughts. "You needed to be there," she answered, setting her face back to a blank expression.

On her other side, M'Baku spoke up. "Rhino?" Vielka let out a small laugh, before trying to stop herself.

Steve, Natasha and T'Challa soon made their way back up the hill, as down below the alien ships began to move, seeming to open to allow their armies out. As Steve moved back into position in the frontline, Bucky piped up. "They surrender?"

There was a growling and snarling from within the tree line, followed by a low rumbling from the space ships before them. "Not exactly," Steve replied flatly.

T'Challa began the war cry of the Wakandan people. " _YIBAMBE! YIBAMBE!"_ His armies replied in kind, a chant going up throughout the ranks of Wakandans, the troops slamming down their weapons on the ground as they did so, while overhead, Falcon and War Machine patrolled along the edge of the barrier.

Vielka mentally joined in the war cry, keeping her focus on the female alien, who was still positioned outside the tree line with her rhino like counterpart. She raised her weapon, hoisting it above her head and Vielka recognized the movement. "Prepare yourselves," Vielka warned, drawing a glance from Bucky and Natasha. "I think you pissed her off, Nat."

The alien brought her weapon down, signaling the attack, and behind her there was snarling and rumbling as a gigantic wave of alien creatures rushed from the tree line towards the barrier shield. Vielka furrowed her brows, beginning to try and analyse the aliens running towards the barrier. She felt her skin begin to tingle under her armour and her HUD appeared before her eyes, zooming into the aliens and beginning to break down their genetic make up for her.

"What the hell…" Bucky murmured from her beside her, not taking his eyes off the incoming waves of aliens.

"Yep, definitely pissed her off," Natasha responded to Vielka's earlier observation.

"These things are truly, disgusting," Vielka said as her HUD continued to analyse the aliens, trying to find any signs of weaknesses. The aliens were hideous, with slightly translucent skin, which meant you could see each and every single one of their veins, but what they lacked in armour, they made up for with multiple arms and large mouths with multitude of teeth. "The good news is, they don't have any armour, the bad news is, they've got teeth and there's a lot of them."

"So, avoid the sharp end and don't get ganged up on?" Bruce asked through the commlink.

"That's about the gist of it," Vielka replied, blinking to shut down her HUD.

Bucky glanced sideways at her. "How did you do that?" he asked furrowing his brow as he looked her up and down.

She sighed, remembering that Bucky had missed a lot of what had happened in the last few months, as had Natasha and Steve. "I guess you could say, I've undergone a few upgrades of my own." Bucky looked concerned for a moment, but Vielka decided to ignore him and turned back to the situation at hand.

The alien monsters had started to assault the shield, running straight into and starting to try and force their way in. Some managed to get their arms and even their heads through, but the shield would reform around them, slicing them in half. Yet, the aliens continued to throw themselves at the shield, without a second thought for self preservation.

"They're killing themselves," Vielka heard Okoye breathe from the other side of T'Challa.

They continued to watch on as a few managed to bear the brunt of the shield's force, making it through in their entirety with charred skin, but still able to function. They snarled angrily towards the waiting human forces before making a charge for the hill.

" _SHIELDS UP!"_ T'Challa ordered in Xhosa, the order being repeated down the lines of waiting frontline Kingsguard and Border Tribesman. _"PREPARE TO FIRE!"_ The Dora Milaje and second line Kingsguard moved too, swinging their spears before pointing their super sharp tips between the shields and towards the incoming aliens. Bucky, who had apparently also become quite fluent in Xhosa, raised his sub-machine gun, ready to fire. The aliens raced towards the waiting ranks of troops, twenty or thirty having already breached the shield. _"FIRE!"_

Laser blasts rained down towards the aliens as the Wakandan forces opened fire, Bucky joining in, his aim true as he took down several aliens at once. Vielka tried her best not to be impressed, but she had to admit, he was still a surgeon with a rifle.

The Hulk Buster, Falcon and War Machine also opened fire, the two flyers soaring over the assaulting aliens and dropping incendiaries as they did so. "You see the teeth on those things?" Sam shouted as he targeted the aliens with missiles.

"Alright Sam, otherwise you'll get your wings singed," Colonel Rhodes warned, as he flew in to drop more incendiaries along the edge of the barrier. The aliens remain unperturbed, still focused on their mission.

Vielka's nose was assaulted with the smell of burning alien flesh, and it made her want to gag, so she activated her helmet, her black armour forming over her head, offering her relief from the smell.

"That's new," Bucky said continuing to fire, barely glancing at her for mere seconds.

"A slight improvement," she responded wryly, not expecting him to respond to her own self-deprecation.

"I think that's a matter of opinion," he responded, shouting to be heard over his gunfire.

Vielka was almost stunned into silence, but smirked at his response. That was bold, even for him. "Oh, that bad, am I?"

He stopped firing, looking at her incredulously. A look of realization soon spread across his face. "No! I meant it was perfect the way it was!" Vielka stared at him for a moment, speechless. He grinned when she didn't respond, before looking back to the barrier that was still holding back majority of the aliens. It wasn't often that happened to her, but Banner was soon able to distract them both.

"Cap, if these things circle the perimeter and get in behind us, there will be nothing between them and Vision," he warned. Vielka looked and noted that the aliens were indeed making what appeared to be a flanking movement, as they were finding it slow trying to get through the barrier.

"Then we'd better keep them in front of us," Steve muttered.

Okoye looked to the Wakandan King. "How do we do that?" she asked in concern.

T'Challa looked grimly back at the Dora General, biting his bottom lip as he considered his answer. "We open the barrier."

Vielka activated her HUD again, calculating the size of the aliens in question. "If you open one panel, looking at the behavior of these creatures, it should form a bottleneck and help slow them down, but we will still have one heck of a fight on our hands," she deduced as her HUD brought up their statistics.

T'Challa nodded once, before reaching up to his ear to tap his commlink. "On my signal, open North-West section seventeen." He waited a moment, listening for confirmation, nodding once before responding. "On my signal."

Vielka turned her attention towards the barrier, her HUD showing her the exact section that was going to be pulled down.

"This will be the end of Wakanda," she heard M'Baku murmur grimly.

"Then it will be the noblest ending in history," Okoye replied, determination evident in her voice. Vielka couldn't help but smile. That was a nice thought for her, if she was ever going to go, this would be the perfect way to leave the world of the living.

* * *

 **The end is nigh...for now**

 **xo**

 **Krayzee**


End file.
